cgiarNews- September 2008 September 2008 47437 THEMATIC FOCUS: GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY Targeting New Investment in Research A new study predicts major gains in food security, poverty reduction and environmental protection from increased support for selected "best-bet" research initiatives. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Word to the Wise Policy research and the recommendations it generates inform and influence the public debate on the causes of high food prices and how best to respond to the crisis. Roots of the Rice Crisis The dramatic surge in the price of rice in 2008 was foreshadowed by a rising trend over the past several years, as demand growth outpaced productivity gains. Best Friends Offer Best Bets A long-running research partnership responds to the food price crisis with an initiative that rolls out seven technologies to make agriculture more efficient and resilient. Famine and Fortune Cassava is traditionally grown as a hedge against famine and all but ignored by crop scientists, but high prices for other staples are helping this hardy root crop find its place in the sun. Iron Age for Millet and Bean Progress in breeding some staple crops with high iron content advances the fight against micronutrient malnutrition in tropical Africa and Asia. Consider the Cost Farmers in the drylands need to fine-tune their techniques to squeeze more food, fuel and fodder out of their crops with minimal application of expensive inputs. New Options with Animals The crisis in world food prices is an opportunity to explore new avenues of innovation and integration to make livestock rearing part of the solution. Balanced Strategies and Diets Community-based fishery management and integrated aquaculture and agriculture exemplify sustainable and energy-efficient approaches to food and nutrition security. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/ (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:27:01 PM cgiarNews- September 2008 Guided by Knowledge Sharing The CGIAR is identifying and testing ways to improve the effectiveness and impact of its research through better knowledge sharing. MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS Maintaining the Momentum of Media Interest in Agriculture Continued media outreach is focusing on the relevance of work supported by the CGIAR to the challenge of containing global food price inflation. INSIDE THE CGIAR Report on ExCo14 Facing tough choices and thorny issues, ExCo examined recent reviews of Center and program performance and reflected on institutional change in the CGIAR. Update on Change Management and the Independent Review Two parallel processes aimed at advancing CGIAR reform come to fruition, with an emerging consensus on the way forward. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/ (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:27:01 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Targeting New Investment in Research A new study predicts major gains in food security, poverty reduction and environmental protection from increased support for selected "best-bet" research initiatives. To download the complete study, please click here. The recent dramatic rise in the prices of basic foods has sent a shockwave through the world community, arousing institutions from years of complacency about the state of the agricultural sector. As is clear from the "research highlights" articles featured in this issue of CGIAR News, the work of the CGIAR-supported Centers is highly relevant to the challenge of food price inflation, and the Centers are working in diverse ways to bolster world food security, while also reducing poverty and protecting the environment. As part of their response to the current crisis, the Centers took part in several consultations with World Bank colleagues during mid-2008, with the aim of identifying "best bests to boost crop yields in sub- Saharan Africa." Afterwards, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) undertook an assessment of the impact that could be achieved through large-scale promotion and dissemination of best-bet measures in all regions of the developing world. The first outcome of that assessment was a report entitled International Agricultural Research for Food Security, Poverty Reduction and the Environment: What to Expect from Scaling up CGIAR Investments and "Best-Bet" Programs, prepared by IFPRI director general Joachim von Braun together with four Institute colleagues: Shenggen Fan, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Mark Rosegrant and Alejandro Nin Pratt. What follows is the executive summary of that report. Through its international research centers, its publicly available research, its broad network of partnerships and its long experience in the field, the CGIAR is well-positioned to contribute to the global effort to foster food production, increase access to food, and reduce poverty and hunger in both rural and urban areas. However, it cannot effectively address those global challenges without additional funding and improved organizational design. The latter is being addressed by the CGIAR Change Management Initiative now under way. The former is the focus of this study, which examines what can be expected from a scaled-up CGIAR. There can be no doubt about the strong role of agricultural research in concert with other development investments: Numerous studies have shown that investments in agricultural research typically rank first or second in terms of returns to growth and poverty reduction, along with investments in infrastructure and education. Fortunately, there is a new and broad-based consensus that investment in agriculture and in related, research-based innovations must be accelerated. But the obvious questions are: by how much should this investment be accelerated, where should it be focused, and what can be expected from it? The study reported here utilizes two different approaches to assess the impact of significantly scaling up investment in public agricultural research in developing countries generally and in the CGIAR particularly. First, it models the potential impact of doubling research investment on agricultural (food) http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_13_print.html (1 of 3)02/12/2009 12:29:46 PM cgiarNews production and poverty reduction, and also on international food prices. It then provides a compilation of "best bets" for large-scale research investments, as identified by the CGIAR Centers in a survey done for this study. The modeling indicates that increasing investment in public agricultural research in the countries included in the model from about US$4.6 billion to US$9.3 billion during the next five years (2008-13), and doubling CGIAR investment from US$0.5 to US$1.0 billion as part of that, would increase output growth coming from research and development (R&D) by 0.53 to 1.55 percentage points. Doubling this R&D investment would also reduce the number of people living on $1 a day by 204 million by 2020. This scenario assumes that expanded investment is targeted toward maximizing total agricultural output, which means allocating R&D investment more to Southeast/East Asia and South Asia than to other regions. If, on the other hand, expanded agricultural research is targeted toward maximizing poverty reduction, then R&D investment should be allocated more to sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This could increase overall agricultural output growth somewhat less (by 0.53 to 1.11 percentage points per year) but would lift about 282 million people out of poverty by 2020 (compared to 204 million in the first scenario). A different global model (IFPRI's IMPACT model) was used to estimate the effects of accelerated R&D investment ­ combined with plausible increases in other development investments ­ on international food prices. The results suggest that when compared to the baseline scenario, a high-investment scenario could reduce the price of maize by 67% in 2025, wheat by 56%, and rice by 45%, while reducing unit costs of production to main farm income. Such expanded R&D investment in agriculture is critical for preventing future global food crises. The paper also describes 14 examples of best bets for large-scale research investments, ranging between about US$10-150 million each over 5 years. They encompass the broad areas of increasing the agricultural productivity of crop and livestock systems, reducing risks, improving the nutritional quality of food, mitigating climate change and improving ecosystem resilience, enhancing germplasm exchange, and improving market information and value chains. These illustrative best bets include: 1. Revitalizing yield growth in intensive cereal systems (estimated investment: $150 million; people reached: 3 billion) 2. Increasing fish production (estimated investment: US$73.5 million; people reached: 32 million) 3. Addressing threatening pests such as virulent wheat rust (estimated investment: US$37.5 million; people reached: 2.88 billion) 4. Tackling cattle diseases, such as East Coast Fever (estimated investment: US$10.5 million; people reached: 32 million, with additional indirect effects on many more) 5. Breeding drought-resistant maize in 20 countries (estimated investment: US$100 million; people reached: 320 million, with additional indirect effects on many more) 6. Scaling up biofortification (estimated investment: US$125 million; people reached: up to 672 million) 7. Including poor forest people in climate change-mitigation opportunities (estimated investment: US$45 million; people reached: 48 million) 8. Enhancing yield growth in the context of climate change (estimated investment: US$127.5 million; people reached: 1.18 billion) 9. Combining organic and inorganic nutrients for increased crop productivity (estimated investment: US$55 million; people reached: 400 million) 10. Promoting the sustainable and efficient use of ground water (estimated investment: US$24 million; people reached: 261 million) 11. Expanding the exchange of genetic resources (estimated investment: US$15 million; people reached: global impact, with a focus in developing countries) 12. Promoting innovations to improve small farmer access to trade, market and value-chain systems in six countries (estimated investment: US$10.5 million; people reached: 45 million) 13. Ensuring women's full participation in agricultural innovation (estimated investment: US$30 million; people reached: 200 million) 14. Reducing the adverse effects of agriculture on health and improving the health benefits of agriculture for the poor (estimated investment: US$75 million; people reached: global) http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_13_print.html (2 of 3)02/12/2009 12:29:46 PM cgiarNews These best bets would reach billions of people, even before assessing synergies and adding up effects across best-bet programs. While some of these options are currently on the desired and actual agenda of the CGIAR, the respective investments are currently far below the needed scale for optimal impact. The CGIAR is also constrained from effectively utilizing new science in biotechnology and nanotechnology for the poor, which should be included among the emerging opportunities that require scaling up of investment in the CGIAR. While most of the identified CGIAR research opportunities are characterized by large-but-slow wins, some have opportunities for large-scale, quick wins, especially institutional and policy research that leads to policy changes in the short run, such as research related to markets and to food and nutrition programs and policies. A reformed and more efficient CGIAR will not only help increase productivity, improve the natural resource base and strengthen policy and institutions through its own research but will also be better able to link with private-sector innovation and end user-oriented operations in cooperation with national agricultural research systems, which would yield high pay-offs to development investments. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_13_print.html (3 of 3)02/12/2009 12:29:46 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Word to the Wise Policy research and the recommendations it generates inform and influence the public debate on the causes of high food prices and how best to respond to the crisis. The dramatic rise of food prices has affected people around the world, dragging the most vulnerable people further into poverty and imperiling global food and nutrition security. With many countries facing food crises, policymakers need independent, sound information to respond effectively. While technological and environmental research conducted by the Centers supported by the CGIAR provide strong bases for long-term responses to the food crisis, policy research conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides the basis for response strategies in the short and medium term. In May 2008, IFPRI released an eight-point plan that calls for international action to stem the tide of rising food prices. The plan consists of an "emergency package" of actions for immediate impact: q increase emergency food aid, q eliminate export bans, q undertake food production programs with timely impact and q improve biofuel policies. It also offers a "resilience package" of actions for long-term impact: q calm markets, q invest in social protection, q scale up investment in sustained agricultural growth and q complete the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations. These priorities were presented by IFPRI director general Joachim von Braun during his keynote address before the United Nations Economic and Social Committee in May. Solid research and analysis are critical to policymakers' ability to make evidence-based decisions, as governments struggle with increased concerns over national energy security, high energy prices, climate change and global food markets. IFPRI has produced policy briefs and reports to provide detailed analyses of the various aspects of the food crisis. These documents have been shared widely with policymakers and other key stakeholders, and they are available to the public on IFPRI's website. Click here to see the documents. To get the recommendations and analyses into the hands of decision makers, IFPRI researchers have testified about rising food prices before the United States Congress and the European Union Parliament, as well as at numerous high-level meetings, conferences and seminars. Mark Rosegrant, director of environment and production technology at IFPRI, urged policymakers to improve biofuel policies during his testimony to the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Rosegrant http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_01_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:33:14 PM cgiarNews testified that "removal of ethanol blending mandates and subsidies and ethanol import tariffs, and in the United States--together with removal of policies in Europe promoting biofuels-- would contribute to lower food prices." The current food crisis has also shown how important it is for developing countries to have adequate emergency resources. Von Braun and Maximo Torero, director of markets, trade and institutions at IFPRI, recommended the creation of "virtual grain reserves" that could provide emergency supplies and calm markets while avoiding the drawbacks of traditional reserves: high storage costs, slow transactions and risky price increases. After their summit meeting in July, the Group of Eight industrialized nations released a food security statement that mentioned a similar type of plan: "We will explore options on a coordinated approach on stock management, including the pros and cons of building a `virtual' internationally coordinated reserve system for humanitarian purposes." IFPRI has disseminated its research widely to the media and has participated in press briefings in Beijing, Brussels and New Delhi. IFPRI's work on rising food prices has been cited in more than 450 media stories since August 2007. Stories have appeared in daily and weekly papers in many developing countries, including in China, India, Mexico, Nigeria and the Philippines. Media coverage has included national newspapers in industrialized countries such as Canada, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and United States, as well as influential international papers like the New York Times, Financial Times and Economist. IFPRI experts have discussed the findings and recommendations in interviews broadcast, including on the BBC, CNN, Radio France International, Tokyo Broadcasting System and many other networks. The research was also cited by numerous wire services such as Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg, Jiji Press, Reuters and South African Press Association. The extensive dissemination of IFPRI research is informing and influencing the policy debate. Numerous columnists and editorial writers have cited IFPRI research when calling for changes in biofuel policies. Many of the recommendations of international organizations and agencies echo those of IFPRI, especially those related to humanitarian assistance, agricultural production, export bans, speculation and biofuel policies. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_01_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:33:14 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Roots of the Rice Crisis The dramatic surge in the price of rice in 2008 was foreshadowed by a rising trend over the past several years, as demand growth outpaced productivity gains. Steady declines in rice prices through the 1980s and 1990s led many governments to believe that food would always be plentiful. Ever lower prices were taken for granted, breeding complacency toward agricultural research and development. Then the price trend reversed. The world price of Thai 5% broken rice -- a popular export grade -- was US$362 per ton in December 2007. By the end of April 2008, it had almost tripled to $1,000 per ton. As the Asian harvest brought new rice onto the market in June, prices began to come back down but, in July, remained close to double the December 2007 price. The implications for poverty alleviation are enormous. The poorest of the poor are the 1.1 billion people who live on less than a dollar a day. Around 700 million of these people -- almost two thirds -- live in the rice-growing countries of Asia. Rice supplies more than 40% of the calories consumed by most Asians. Poor people spend as much as 30-40% of their income on rice alone. What are the underlying reasons for the rice crisis? First, the world is consuming more rice than it produces, as indicated by the sustained (if only recently dramatic) rise in the price over the past 7-8 years. Rice stocks are being rapidly depleted, with current stocks at their lowest since the 1970s. A major reason for the imbalance between long-term demand and supply is anemic growth in yield, which has slowed substantially over the past 10-15 years in most countries. Globally, yields have risen in recent years by less than 1% per year, which is slower than population growth and much slower than the annual increases of well over 2% during the Green Revolution period of 1970-90. An important factor accounting for the slowdown in yield growth is reduced public investment in agricultural research and development, which drove productivity growth during the Green Revolution. Investments in irrigation have also decreased substantially since then, and existing irrigation infrastructure has deteriorated because of inadequate maintenance. The possibility of increasing the rice area is extremely limited in most Asian countries. In many areas, highly productive rice land has been lost to housing and industrial development.Meanwhile, growth in demand remains strong at 5 million tons each year -- more if rebuilding stocks is taken into account. This means that in 10 years the world will need to produce over 50 million tons more than it does now. Populations continue to grow across the rice-consuming world at rates that outstrip production growth. Rapid economic growth, in particular in India and China, has increased demand for cereals, both for human consumption and for livestock fodder. This income-driven growth in demand has pushed up the prices of cereals in general. Meanwhile, rice is increasingly popular in Africa. Imports to Africa account http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_02_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:34:04 PM cgiarNews for almost one third of the total world trade in rice. Demand from Africa will likely continue to grow. The price of oil has increased rapidly during the past year. In addition to contributing to general inflationary pressure, this has pushed up freight costs for countries that import rice. World prices for fertilizers -- which are essential for rice production -- have increased sharply, with the price of urea more than doubling over the past 4 years. Rising oil prices and concerns about climate change have spurred rapid investments, particularly in developed countries, in biofuels such as ethanol produced from maize and biodiesel produced from oilseeds. Although more expensive rice may help farmers who grow more than they consume, a rise in the price of rice amounts to a drop in real income for the majority of the poor who are net consumers of rice. This increases the number of poor people and pushes people deeper into poverty and hunger, forcing them to do without more nutritious food, healthcare and children's education -- thus condemning future generations to a vicious cycle of poverty. The best strategy for keeping the price of rice low is to ensure that production grows more quickly than demand. With limited opportunity for increasing Asia's rice area, the main source of additional production will need to be higher yield. Productivity growth through the development and dissemination of improved technologies is the only viable way to bring down rice prices in the long term, prevent future increases in price, and ensure that affordable rice is available to poor rice consumers. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_02_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:34:04 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Best Friends Offer Best Bets A long-running research partnership responds to the food price crisis with an initiative that rolls out seven technologies to make agriculture more efficient and resilient. The best friendships are those that stand the tests of time and adversity. By the lights of this folk wisdom, few can match the friendship between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT by its Spanish acronym) and its host country, Mexico. Drawing on ties of mutual support and technical collaboration that go back 65 years, the two have confronted multiple threats to food security in Mexico and across the developing world. The current global food crisis presents them with a new challenge, testing once again their joint capacity to improve the well-being of poor consumers and farmers by making agricultural production more efficient and resilient. They have responded decisively to the challenge with a new 3-year endeavor that will provide research backstopping for the widespread dissemination of seven "best bet" agricultural technologies. Under the initiative, CIMMYT will work closely with Mexico's National Institute for Research on Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock (INIFAP by its Spanish acronym) and many other national organizations. The country's Agricultural Secretariat (SAGARPA by its Spanish acronym), led by Alberto Cardenas, has agreed to finance the collaborative effort with US$1.2 million for the first year. In a meeting at CIMMYT headquarters in August, Cardenas referred to the Center as one of "humanity's treasures." Farmers and state officials in northern Mexico would appear to agree, as they recently provided US$1 million for CIMMYT's work. Discussions that Cardenas and SAGARPA Coordinator for International Affairs Victor Villalobos held in July with CIMMYT Director General Thomas Lumpkin and INIFAP Director General Pedro Brajcich quickly sealed agreement on the way forward with proposals for scaling up seven promising technologies in Mexico. In addition, explained Villalobos, SAGARPA is working with CIMMYT to develop a regional proposal for promoting those technologies in Central and South America. The proposal responds to demand expressed in a meeting of Latin America's agricultural ministers organized by SAGARPA and held last May in Mexico, partly at CIMMYT headquarters, in response to the global food price crisis. Once the proposal has been approved by the countries concerned, it will be presented to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as agreed in consultations between Cardenas and FAO director general Jacques Diouf during the recent World Food Summit. The seven proposals for Mexico are not quick fixes but measures that will support sustainable agricultural production in the coming years: q To make maize production more efficient and resilient under stress, researchers will organize large-scale seed multiplication and massive promotion of the best available drought-tolerant http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_03_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:35:07 PM cgiarNews maize varieties and hybrids, based on results from trials of advanced materials at multiple locations. q As many private and public entities in Mexico engage in maize improvement, the initiative will inventory superior products from diverse sources, and researchers will use geographic information systems to deliver those maize varieties and hybrids to the Mexican farmers in various environments who need them most. q Researchers will employ molecular marker-assisted selection to create drought-tolerant versions of popular but susceptible maize lines and to "pyramid" genes for drought-tolerance in lines currently used for maize improvement in Mexico. q To help reduce postharvest crop losses to pests and disease, the initiative will test and promote on a large scale a simple, inexpensive innovation developed by the International Rice Research Institute that uses thick plastic bags for grain storage. q Farmers in Mexico and elsewhere urgently need improved practices that can keep their crop production competitive, despite water scarcity, high input prices and soil degradation. One option is conservation agriculture, which uses reduced tillage and crop residues to protect the soil. The new initiative will employ innovative conservation agriculture hubs to demonstrate to farmers how effectively the approach reduces production costs and conserves soil and water. q Also to be promoted are hand-held infrared sensors, which enable farmers to calculate exactly how much fertilizer to apply, permitting more efficient use of this expensive input. q As the achievements of Mexican collaboration with CIMMYT derive to a great extent from shared commitment to strengthening research capacity, training figures prominently in their new joint initiative. Focusing on the production and evaluation of healthy, high-quality crop seeds, it will complement efforts to disseminate new crop varieties. In the wake of massive media coverage and debate regarding the global food price crisis, it is good to see research partners moving quickly to do something about it. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_03_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:35:07 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Famine and Fortune Cassava is traditionally grown as a hedge against famine and all but ignored by crop scientists, but high prices for other staples are helping this hardy root crop find its place in the sun. While prices for staples like rice and maize soar, many small-scale farmers in the tropics get their daily calories from the same source they have relied on for years: cassava. This hardy, highly productive root crop thrives in poor, sandy soils and has traditionally been grown to sustain farming communities during famine. Native to Brazil, cassava is currently grown by about 600 million people in Asia, Africa and Latin America. It provides many poor farmers in marginal areas with a reliable source of carbohydrates and is the cheapest source of calories in Africa. Cassava will soon be available with more of the protein and micronutrients that food price increases have pushed further out of reach of the poor. Scientists at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT, by its Spanish acronym) are developing staple crops rich in essential micronutrients like iron, zinc and pro-vitamin A. Together with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria, CIAT has used conventional breeding to produce cassava with the highest levels of beta- carotene ever recorded -- 15 micrograms per gram, up from none 5 years ago. The body transforms beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is essential for healthy vision and resistance to measles, diarrhea and malaria -- three of the worst afflictions suffered by children in developing countries. The World Health Organization estimates that 125 million children under 5 are deficient in vitamin A, condemning more than a million of them to death each year and another 500,000 to blindness. With access to cassava that has been biofortified, or bred for high nutrient content, poor families could reduce these risks and secure their children's well-being. CIAT nutritionist Helena Pachon estimates that, in sub-Saharan African countries where per capita consumption of cassava is greater than 30 grams per day, biofortified cassava alone could improve daily vitamin A intake by 15%. In the countries with the highest consumption of cassava -- Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Mozambique -- biofortified cassava could provide over 30% of the recommended daily allowance. A study in Mozambique showed that vitamin A deficiency can drop by a quarter if preschool children regularly consume sweetpotato with high beta-carotene. More nutrition would enhance cassava's existing attributes as an ideal crop for food security, especially for subsistence farmers of marginal lands. The plant can survive long under drought and requires very little attention. The roots can be left in the ground until needed, such as when alternative foods are scarce or expensive. Cassava's ease of cultivation is such that African songs proclaim that even a child can grow it. A key aspect of biofortification programs is to ensure that biofortified cassava continues to grow well in marginal areas. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_04_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:36:18 PM cgiarNews "The idea is to produce cassava that, in addition to having higher levels of protein and micronutrients, is more productive," says Alba Lucia Chavez, a CIAT microbiologist and the head of the cassava analysis laboratory. "Farmers need to see that the new cassava will not only feed their children better but will also grow well in their fields, cook well, and taste great. Otherwise, the extra nutrients will never reach the people who need them." With expanding populations and unsustainable farming practices stretching supplies of water and arable land, cassava is likely to become more integral to food security worldwide. Consumption is rising in Africa and Latin America as urban consumers seek alternatives to high-priced cereals. Increased demand gives poor farmers a chance to improve their livelihoods, but it also presents a challenge. Farmers must grow more cassava in their same small fields. There is ample scope for improvement, however, as CIAT researchers estimate that the current average yield worldwide of 12 tons per hectare is less than a fifth of cassava's potential. Despite its importance in the tropics, cassava is essentially invisible in global markets. It receives little attention from crop-development programs in industrialized countries, which focus research on staples important to temperate zones. The lack of investment in cassava has meant that during the past 30 years productivity has increased by less than 1% per year, according to a 2007 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. This contrasts with annual yield improvements for wheat, rice and maize of 2-5%. CIAT scientists are optimistic about cassava's potential to alleviate hunger and malnutrition. Hernan Ceballos, who leads CIAT's cassava research, looks beyond the immediate problems of high food prices and thinks farmers may well benefit. Rising prices, he says "could lead to wider adoption of new technologies in agriculture, increased investments to boost yield, and improved cultural practices that generate more sustainable production." Such developments would confer substantial long-term gains in well-being and food security on farmers and the urban poor throughout the tropics. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_04_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:36:18 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Iron Age for Millet and Bean Progress in breeding some staple crops with high iron content advances the fight against micronutrient malnutrition in tropical Africa and Asia. As the food crisis threatens to worsen micronutrient malnutrition, iron-biofortified pearl millet and bean are on the fast track for release in Asia and Africa. Rising food prices mean that poor people are able to afford fewer nutritious foods like leafy vegetables, fruits and animal products. As a result, micronutrient malnutrition is likely to increase. "Poor people depend mostly on micronutrient-poor staples to begin with ," says Howarth Bouis, director of the HarvestPlus Challenge Program. "It's not just the quantity of food intake, but also the quality of that food, that's important for food security." Iron is one of the critical micronutrients that HarvestPlus is breeding into staple food crops to improve their nutritional quality. More than 2 billion people worldwide suffer from anemia, mostly due to dietary iron deficiency, which can impair physical growth and mental development and increases the risk of women dying in childbirth. It has been estimated that more than half of all pregnant women in developing countries are anemic. The problem is especially acute in South and Southeast Asia and tropical Africa, where anemia is linked to poverty. Bouis, who has done extensive research in the Philippines, has calculated that, without biofortification and assuming an overall food price increase of 50%, iron intake among Philippino women would decline by about 30%. This would mean that only 5% of Filipino women would meet their daily iron requirements and that 25% more women would no longer receive the required iron intake. For more information, see the IFPRI Blog World Hunger. "Because of the food crisis, s imilar scenarios will play out throughout the developing world with dire consequences," says Bouis. Biofortifying staple food crops consumed by the poor can help reduce micronutrient malnutrition by providing a basic "nutritional floor" upon which other interventions, such as conventional fortification and supplementation, can build upon. As the food crisis shows no signs of abating, the HarvestPlus strategy to develop "fast- to-market" biofortified crops is especially timely. These staples can be fast-tracked largely because ,while screening germplasm, plant breeders opportunely discovered varieties that already contained sufficient quantities of micronutrients. This means they will not have to breed specifically for higher nutrient content but can focus instead on incorporating existing high-nutrient traits into popular breeding lines. High-iron pearl millet and common bean are currently being fast-tracked in India and tropical Africa. Despite many attempts to provide micronutrients in India, severe micronutrient malnutrition persists among impoverished Indians. More than 80% of pregnant Indian women are iron deficient. In western http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_05_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:42:25 PM cgiarNews India, where 50 million people commonly grow and eat pearl millet as a staple, the prevalence of anemia among children is 66%. HarvestPlus research partners at the International Centre for Research in the Semi Arid Tropics screened almost 2,000 pearl millet germplasm accessions and found varieties with iron levels that well exceeded the target. Cultivars meeting more than 75% of the iron target are now in final product development, and the first biofortified varieties should be in farmers' fields by 2011. HarvestPlus anticipates spillover effects in Niger, a West African nation where pearl millet is an important food crop. In East Africa, anemia affects more than half of the children in Rwanda, where 33% of women of reproductive age are anemic. Both bush and climbing beans are prime sources of protein and micronutrients in the Rwandan diet. Bean research began in the first phase of HarvestPlus (2003-2007), with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and its national research partners assaying more than 4,000 bean genotypes. They found varieties with more than twice the iron content of popular cultivars. Plant breeders have used these naturally iron-rich varieties to systematically elevate the iron content of bean cultivars with each breeding cycle, while maintaining or enhancing important agronomic traits. They have successfully developed biofortified varieties that meet 90% of the iron target and have superior agronomic traits. These varieties will be field tested next year. The goal is to provide at least one third of the recommended daily iron intake for Rwandan women through beans. Pending the results of nutrition studies that are underway in Rwanda, HarvestPlus plans to release high-iron beans in 2010 in collaboration with national partners. While the initial release will be in Rwanda, at least 10 other African countries stand to benefit from these new iron-rich bean varieties as they become more widely available and adapted to different environments. In just a few years, biofortified varieties of pearl millet and common bean are expected to provide additional iron to millions of malnourished people in India and tropical Africa. Early success with these crops should help pave the way for acceptance of biofortified "mega-staples" such as maize and rice, which are already under development and could improve nutrition for billions more people. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_05_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:42:25 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Consider the Cost Farmers in the drylands need to fine-tune their techniques to squeeze more food, fuel and fodder out of their crops with minimal application of expensive inputs. Agriculture is becoming more expensive because of fundamental global changes such as rising fuel costs, a growing middle class that demands higher quality food, and the diversion of maize to the biofuel industry. High food prices are likely here to stay, as production costs, particularly for fertilizer, are rising more quickly than food prices. In the drylands, the prices of crops like sorghum, millet and legumes have increased by 20-40% in the past year. They continue to rise sharply during this period known as the "hungry season" in sub- Saharan Africa. In poor countries, this is the time that food stocked the previous year dwindles to nothing before the new harvest is reaped. Scientific innovations in crop varieties and cultivation techniques can help poor farmers cope with soaring prices for inputs. According to William D. Dar, director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), on-farm yields of cereal crops in the drylands can be doubled or tripled with only modest inputs, such as low rates of fertilizer application combined with highly responsive crop varieties, particularly hybrids, and low-cost rainwater harvesting. More specifically, ICRISAT's scientific innovations have been found effective in producing food at lower cost. These include planting-basin cultivation, fertilizer micro-dosing, the use of improved crop varieties and hybrids, improved seed systems, tree-crop integration, gravity-fed drip irrigation, growing new types of crops, integrated pest management, and adding value to sweet sorghum by producing ethanol as well as grain and feed from every plant. Planting-basin cultivation begins by scooping small depressions by hand-hoe that concentrate rainwater and applied nutrients at the base of the plant, where the roots are the most dense. Applying small doses of fertilizer (less than a tenth of the rates used in developed countries) and small amounts of manure in these moist basins has doubled or tripled yields when coupled with planting improved crop varieties, especially hybrids. Improved crop varieties use fertilizer more efficiently; are more resilient to drought, pests and diseases; and incorporate grain quality traits demanded by the market. Likewise, hybrid varieties can turbo- charge yields through their fertilizer responsiveness and robust growth. To ensure that these varieties are available to poor farmers at the right time, improved seed systems are being put in place to multiply seeds in the necessary quantities. An emerging farming system is to grow special trees in the same field as crops. The trees collect nutrients from deep in the soil, and their falling leaves make the nutrients available to young crops. The trees and leaves also protect the soil from erosion by wind and water. While boosting crop yields, trees provide high-value products such as fruits, gums, cosmetics and renewable energy in the form of http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_06_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:43:47 PM cgiarNews firewood. Drip irrigation delivers water drop-by-drop to each plant through a plastic tube, providing just the amount the plant needs for optimal growth and productivity. Fertilizer mixed with the drip water improves its efficiency. ICRISAT has pioneered inexpensive drip-irrigation systems suitable for sub- Saharan Africa and has identified tree and vegetable crops that deliver high profits when drip irrigated. Situated near urban areas, these lush market gardens connect poor farmers to increasingly affluent middle class markets, facilitating their access to better technologies and infrastructure. Another effective technique is integrated pest management, which mitigates the costs and hazards of pesticide sprays. Growing legumes and other crops without chemical inputs allows farmers to obtain higher prices in organic food markets. Another factor that can lift rural areas out of poverty is the new ethanol market. Rather than pay precious foreign exchange to overseas oil producers, petroleum-poor countries can invest in rural areas to stimulate development. This need not come at the expense of food production or the environment. Sweet sorghum is a smart crop that produces food grain, fuel in the form of stalk juice, and livestock feed on the same plant. After the grain is threshed and the stalks crushed to extract the sugar-rich juice that ferments into ethanol, the residual stalk material is prized as feed for cattle, goats and sheep. In the 1990s, the world grew complacent about food security. "Now we've received a harsh wake-up call," Dar observes. "Unless we reinvigorate agriculture and lift it to a new level of productivity and efficiency, the world will face more hunger, more poverty, more despair and more anger. Big increases in food production are within our reach, so we must grab this opportunity right now." http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_06_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:43:47 PM cgiarNews September 2008 New Options with Animals The crisis in world food prices is an opportunity to explore new avenues of innovation and integration to make livestock rearing part of the solution. With the rising prices of staple foods, many poor people in developing countries face an immediate crisis, as nutritional foods from livestock and other sources are now largely out of their reach. As the politics of food grow ever more complicated, the danger exists that the globe's poorer South will be pitted against the relatively wealthy North. Research conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) shows that the increasing diversion of grains and oilseeds to produce ethanol and biodiesel, a promising first step toward reducing the world's dependence on petroleum, will raise the price of food grains globally, directly causing greater human malnutrition in the South. Africa is -- and will continue to be -- the region hardest hit by rising food prices. It therefore deserves special attention. There are no simple solutions; addressing these threats depends on collective will and action. Dramatically rising consumption of milk and meat in developing countries is a major factor in global food price rises. The price of milk has more than doubled in just a few months in some countries. The price of meat has risen less dramatically but will continue to increase. A surge in demand for livestock products in China and India is driving the increase in livestock prices. Other factors include rising oil prices, the diversion of agricultural resources to producing biofuels and bad weather. Taking the view that "a crisis is a terrible thing to waste," many will seize opportunity in rising food prices. And many of the 1 billion poor people who rely on livestock for their livelihoods could benefit from rising livestock prices. Dairy and other livestock enterprises offer new opportunities to climb out of poverty. Rising livestock prices mean poor farmers and pastoralists can now earn more from their milk and meat. The ruminant animals reared in poor countries -- which eat grass, forages and crop residues rather than grain -- do not compete with people for nutrition. For these and other reasons, farm animals are powerful but underutilized instruments for poverty alleviation and food security in this new era of food scarcity and high prices. The following are some promising options for using livestock to reinforce food and nutritional security. Under the general heading of "innovation" are at least four options: q Expand animal production by expanding feed resources, in particular away from cereal crops. q Use biosciences to accelerate smart breeding for more productive and robust breeds of livestock and forages tailored for the tropics. q Improve market access and thereby help rural people get their perishable, high-value livestock products sold in dynamic urban livestock markets. q Focus on producing more livestock products for regional trade, which is less susceptible to the impacts of global food prices. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_07_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:46:13 PM cgiarNews Under the general heading of "integration" are at least five options: q Refine the integration of crop and livestock systems to raise and sustain whole-farm productivity. q Supply poor farmers with improved animal feed, genetic and health services through public- private partnerships. q Build interconnected markets and supply systems that respond efficiently and flexibly to price signals and put new money into the pockets of the poor. q Rethink the use of plants and biological processes to allow the same plant to generate food, feed and fuel. q Harmonize and simplify trade policies within regions -- allowing the removal of trade barriers and reductions in transaction costs -- to efficiently link regions with food deficits to those with food surpluses. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_07_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:46:13 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Balanced Strategies and Diets Community-based fishery management and integrated aquaculture and agriculture exemplify sustainable and energy-efficient approaches to food and nutrition security. Bina Roy is kept busy as a wife, mother, farmer and fisher as well as the secretary of the Malihat Beel village fishery management committee. Over the past 6 years, she has led efforts to improve community management of the local fishery, boost fish production, and enhance community nutrition and income. Malihat Beel is one of over 1,200 villages in Bangladesh that set out in 2002 to farm fish to complement their traditional rice crop and wild fish catch. Since then fish production has increased by nearly 20% in these villages. Bangladeshis, who have a saying that they are "made of rice and fish," get 63% of their animal protein from fish. Indonesians get 58%, and Cambodians 75%. Simply put, fish is essential to the diets of millions of the world's poor. High prices for food staples and energy threaten to cause food shortages in Asia and Africa. As the international community addresses the challenge of producing adequate food supplies sustainably and energy-efficiently, it should consider the example of Bina Roy and others in Bangladesh and ask where investments in fisheries and aquaculture can help. Wild fisheries still provide more than half of the world's fish harvest, but most wild stocks are either fully exploited or worse. Better management of wild fisheries is essential, with special attention given to the small-scale fisheries that employ over 95% of the world's fishers and sustain hundreds of millions of the poor who are the most vulnerable to the rising food prices. Without healthy fisheries, millions of the most food insecure will have less fish to eat and less income for buying staples. That these fisheries are much more energy efficient than their industrial counterparts is a bonus. Meeting the growing demand for fish requires the expansion of environmentally friendly and energy- efficient aquaculture. Fish farming has grown since 1970 at an average rate of 9% per year, making it the world's most dynamic food-production system. Aquaculture now produces half of all fish for human consumption. Fish is in short supply in sub-Saharan Africa, which currently farms only 2% of its fish consumption. Tight supplies caused per capita fish consumption to fall from 9 kilograms per year in 1973 to 7 kilograms since 1997, or less than half of the world average. Fortunately, enormous scope for expanding aquaculture production exists in Africa, as using just 5% of its suitable area would produce enough additional fish to meet the minimum needs of Africa's growing population until 2020. The technologies exist; the need is to apply them effectively. Fish farming is energy efficient. Several species can be farmed extensively and fed only manure, kitchen waste, leaves and crop residues. Intensively farmed fish need less feed than warm-blooded livestock, as 100 kilograms of feed will produce as much as 75 kilograms of catfish meat but only 50 kilograms of http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_08_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:56:49 PM cgiarNews chicken meat or 13 kilograms of beef. Some species of farmed fish grow from fingerling to market size in 4-5 months. Farmed fish is also water efficient, counterintuitive as that may be. The water cost of a kilogram of fish can be as low as 2,000 litres. This is twice the water cost of wheat, but similar to that of broiler chickens or milk, 40% that of rice or cheese, 10% that of coffee, and 2% that of grain-fed beef. Further, rainwater stored in fishponds is often available for irrigation after other sources have dried up, and water percolating from fishponds helps recharge local aquifers. WorldFish and its partners in southern Africa have found that smallholder farms integrating aquaculture with crops and livestock harvest 18% more during drought than their neighbors. Integrating aquaculture with agriculture improves food and nutritional security and family income at little cost. In Bangladesh, introducing low-cost, low-input integrated aquaculture-agriculture has raised fish yields per hectare from 500 kilograms to 4 tons. Recycling nutrients and water between fishponds and terrestrial crops makes the entire farm more efficient and profitable. Farmers in Africa that integrate aquaculture with agriculture get 10% more from their farms despite using half of the inputs of conventional farms, and their soil retains nitrogen better. Where the integrated approach has been adopted in Malawi, farm incomes have risen by 28%, family fish consumption has risen by 160%, and child malnutrition has eased by 15%. The experience of Bina Roy and thousands more fishers and farmers in Asia and Africa needs to be multiplied where appropriate to improve the diet of the world's poor and the sustainability and diversity of their livelihoods. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_08_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:56:49 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Guided by Knowledge Sharing The CGIAR is identifying and testing ways to improve the effectiveness and impact of its research through better knowledge sharing. The Centers and Programs supported by the CGIAR create with their many partners a wealth of knowledge to help improve agricultural productivity and the livelihoods of poor communities in developing countries. The knowledge the CGIAR produces is vital to addressing food insecurity around the world. A key challenge is ensuring that this knowledge reaches its intended audience, be it policymakers, investors, implementers or the farmers themselves. If the findings of CGIAR research and the recommendations that stem from it are to bring positive change to the livelihoods of the world's poor, they must respond to needs and conditions on the ground. While much is already being done to make this knowledge more available, accessible and applicable, further opportunities exist to ensure that research effectively achieves development outcomes. A missing element between the generation of knowledge and its application is appropriate knowledge sharing. This involves working with stakeholders to identify the information gaps, collaborating and learning with a variety of actors throughout the knowledge-generation process, and effectively delivering knowledge in ways appropriate to the various groups whose decision-making and actions the CGIAR seeks to influence or support. This requires better understanding and use of new knowledge systems and knowledge-sharing approaches. The CGIAR's Information Communication Technology and Knowledge Management (ICT-KM) Program initiated in 2007 a 2-year project entitled Knowledge Sharing in Research (KSinR). The goal of KSinR is to improve the effectiveness and impact of CGIAR research by providing options and lessons regarding good practices in knowledge sharing in research. The project recognizes that a prerequisite for implementing knowledge sharing in research is acknowledging that research Centers often have valid reservations about undertaking activities outside their sector of the research-to-development continuum. KSinR therefore looks at how to integrate appropriate knowledge-sharing activities directly into the research process to improve the way research is carried out and to strengthen its impact without compromising Centers' adherence to their research mandate. KSinR's main learning vehicle consists of six on-going CGIAR research projects, which are piloting various knowledge sharing approaches integrated at different stages in the research process. q Collaborative multi-stakeholder frameworks for conducting more coordinated innovation and research-to-action processes are being tested by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) through its use of the Learning Alliance approach in its project `Wastewater, Agriculture and Sanitation for Poverty Alleviation(WASPA)'. q The Farmers' Conference Project of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas(ICARDA) is providing lessons on mechanisms for sharing knowledge and learning from farmers to improve the design and execution of plant breeding. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_09_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:57:58 PM cgiarNews q The pilot lead by the Center for International Forestry Research(CIFOR) is exploring good ways to share methodologies for assessing research priorities, as well as experiences in using them, to provide support to Centers in determining which research options promise the greatest impact. r The pilot led by the International Rice Research Institute(IRRI) is developing the Laos Rice Knowledge Bank as a mechanism to make research in that Asian country accessible to extension agents and, through them, to farmers. r Another pilot also lead by IWMI is using radio programs, training videos, curricula and flip charts to convey good practices in wastewater use to farmers, local food caterers and extension agents, with the aim of testing diverse methods of research delivery for their ability to improve uptake and adoption. r The pilot project of the WorldFish Center is testing alternative methodologies for monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment, with the aim of finding better ways of learning together with stakeholders throughout the research process. One lesson emerging from KSinR is that using these knowledge-sharing approaches in research requires funding, time and personnel that are sometimes beyond the current capacity of projects and Centers. Knowledge sharing is nevertheless providing a number of benefits to projects. Better insights are being gained into problems on the ground, which help improve the relevance of research. Greater buy-in is being achieved by working more closely with stakeholders. More is being learned through knowledge sharing with stakeholders. Finally, more appropriate ways of sharing knowledge with target groups is improving their access to knowledge and stimulating stakeholders' uptake and use of research- generated knowledge and technologies. Results from across KSinR and all of its pilot projects and other activities will be documented in a variety of media including the Knowledge Sharing website and blog as well as practical how-to documents to be presented at upcoming forums of the CGIAR and other organizations. For more information, please contact Nadia Manning-Thomas, KSinR Project Leader (n.manning@cgiar. org). KSinR is hosted by IWMI in its Nile Basin and East Africa Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_09_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:57:58 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Maintaining the Momentum of Media Interest in Agriculture Continued media outreach is focusing on the relevance of work supported by the CGIAR to the challenge of containing global food price inflation. Largely as a result of widespread concern about rising food prices, agriculture has received unusually intense media attention since late 2007. In response, communicators in the CGIAR are actively disseminating research results and achievements through active media outreach. In the process, they are also creating opportunities for Center scientists to join public debate on major issues, including food price inflation as well as climate change and water scarcity. As reported in the May issue of CGIAR News, our news story development workshops have proved useful for helping maintain the momentum of CGIAR media outreach. In this issue, we report on collective initiatives undertaken since our last workshop, held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in mid-April. Audio press briefings Immediately after that event, CGIAR communicators worked with a private-sector partner, Burness Communications, to organize an audio press briefing on the world food price crisis. Its aim was to establish the CGIAR Centers as reliable sources of information about food security and related issues in global agriculture. The briefing consisted of statements by three Center directors general ­ Joachim von Braun, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Carlos Seré, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI); and Robert Ziegler, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) ­ followed by a question-and-answer session. Twenty-one reporters from top media ­ such as the Financial Times ( UK) and Scientific American ­ took part in the briefing, while many others who could not attend (such as BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle Radio) requested the audio file and/or transcript for future use. The briefing generated a significant response, including several wire service stories ­ e.g., by Agence France-Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP), Reuters and United Press International ­ as well as original print coverage ­ e.g., in the Christian Science Monitor and East African ( Kenya). The AP story resulted in particularly extensive print media coverage, including stories in the Bangkok Post and San Francisco Chronicle, as well as heavy pick-up by online news sites (e.g., ABC News Online, WashingtonPost.com and TIME Magazine Online). About a week later, a second audio briefing was organized, which centered on the implications of the food price crisis specifically for Africa. It began with statements from two directors general ­ Dennis Garrity of the World Agroforestry Centre and Papa Abdoulaye Seck of the Africa Rice Center ­ and from Marianne Banziger, who leads maize research at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Sixteen Africa-based reporters from top media ­ such as AP, Business Day (South Africa), the New York Times and Radio France International ­ participated in the briefing, leading to significant coverage. Highlights include wire service stories from Inter Press Service, Reuters and United Press International as well as original print stories in the East African and Le Monde ( France). http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_10_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 12:59:34 PM cgiarNews News story promotions Subsequent collaborative efforts in media outreach have been organized around news story ideas identified during the workshop at Addis Ababa or through other exchanges with Center scientists and communicators. TICAD IV: A news release on the impact of New Rice for Africa (NERICA ® ) was promoted by Burness Communications in connection with the Fourth Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD IV). This resulted in substantial coverage, including wire service stories by AFP, Deutsche Presse- Agentur (DPA) and Reuters; articles in print media, such as New Scientist and New Vision ( Uganda); and radio interviews with Africa Rice Center staff broadcast by BBC Network Africa and Radio France International. Numerous news Web sites carried the story as well, notably ABC News, La Croix (France), Tribune de Geneve Online ( Switzerland) and Scientific American Online. World Water Week in Stockholm: In previous years, this event has proved to be a major media opportunity for the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and 2008 was no exception. This year a new IWMI report on the use of wastewater in urban and peri-urban agriculture served as the focal point for story development and media outreach. Burness Communications promoted the story with international media and set up "desk-side" interviews for IWMI director general Colin Chartres in London on his way to the event. The report received major coverage, including stories by more than 20 global and regional news agencies, notably AFP, ANSA ( Italy), Asian News International ( India), AP, Australian Associated Press, Reuters, Inter Press and Xinhua ( China). More than 25 stories (in about a dozen languages) appeared in print media, such as Le Figaro (France), Gazeta Mercantil (Brazil), The Guardian (UK), Miami Herald, Le Monde, New Scientist and Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany). In addition, BBC News, Economist.com, National Geographic Online, Newsweek Online and SciDev.net ran original stories on their Web sites. An op-ed written by Colin Chartres, calling attention to the "forgotten water crisis," was published in the Green Room, a section of the BBC News Web site that hosts articles on environmental issues. Radio interviews with four IWMI staff were broadcast by BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle Spectrum, Radio France International and SABC's Channel Africa, reaching millions of listeners. In several respects, this story promotion was a textbook case. Its focal point was a strong research report containing highly newsworthy but nuanced findings, which were presented at a high-profile event. The fact that the IWMI report presented survey findings from 53 developing country cities reinforced the story's broad relevance to people around the world. Through their interviews and op-ed piece, IWMI staff used the findings on wastewater use as a springboard for addressing the larger issues of water scarcity and the urgent need to enhance water productivity in agriculture. Stories in the making: As this issue of CGIAR News is being distributed, several more news stories are in the making, which deal with such diverse topics as bushmeat exploitation, banana and plantain production and the International Year of the Potato against the background of the world food price crisis. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_10_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 12:59:34 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Report on ExCo14 Facing tough choices and thorny issues, ExCo examined recent reviews of Center and program performance and reflected on institutional change in the CGIAR. The global food price crisis was very much on the minds of participants in the most recent meeting of the Executive Council (ExCo). Held in mid-May at Ottawa, Canada, the meeting was hosted by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Soon after the opening session, Robert Zeigler, director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), gave a presentation on the crisis, emphasizing the need for increased investment in research, sharply focused on achieving sustainable increases in agricultural productivity. He then outlined a set of specific measures that should be taken in response to the crisis, such as strengthening of food safety nets, vigorous efforts to make improved crop varieties and other technologies more widely available and renewed commitment to bolstering extension systems, training agricultural scientists in developing countries and creating a policy environment that is more conducive to agricultural growth. Subsequent updates on the current status of the CGIAR dealt with preliminary 2007 results from the performance measurement system (PMS) as well as financial matters. ExCo endorsed a suggestion from the CGIAR Secretariat that a workshop be organized to explore means of improving the PMS, for example, by identifying the indicators that best serve to provide early warning of negative trends. Observing a clear tendency toward improved financial health in the CGIAR, ExCo called for continued close monitoring of financial indicators in particular. The next major item on the meeting's agenda concerned external reviews of the CGIAR Challenge Programs. In discussion of the Water and Food Program, participants expressed approval of its general research directions, support for changes being made in its management structure and concern about achieving greater clarity with respect to the time frame of this and other Challenge Programs. The Generation Challenge Program won praise for its success in fund raising and financial management. The program's director expressed satisfaction with the External Review, regarding its recommendations as positive and helpful with respect to both the programmatic and management aspects of the research. In the discussion that followed, the Generation Program was cited as a model, which should inform the deliberations of the Change Management Initiative, particularly as it seeks ways to strengthen partnerships for greater research effectiveness. ExCo received an update on progress with the Independent Review of the CGIAR, whose final report (LINK) was completed in the latter half of September (for further details, see the CGIAR News article on this subject). The report will serve as an important input for the CGIAR Change Management Initiative, which was also dealt with extensively at this ExCo meeting, including a report entitled "Visioning the Future of the CGIAR." ExCo expressed satisfaction with the direction and progress of the change initiative, while http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_11_print.html (1 of 2)02/12/2009 1:01:31 PM cgiarNews stressing the importance of further stakeholder engagement to keep the process from becoming too "inward looking" (for further information, see the CGIAR News article on this subject). A report from the CGIAR Science Council offered recommendations for ExCo on four main topics: 1. Performance indicators for Challenge Programs 2. Development of so-called "framework plans" for CGIAR research priorities 3. The role of the Science Council in mobilizing science 4. A proposed policy statement on biofuel development In its conclusions, ExCo: q Recommended the development of suitable performance indicators for Challenge Programs. q Endorsed the idea of planning the implementation of research priorities in accordance with the strategic objectives recently defined by the Change Management Initiative. q Requested that the Science Council develop a clear plan for science mobilization, with an active role for the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) q Asked for clarification of the implications of Science Council policies, like the one on biofuels. Returning to the subject of Challenge Programs, ExCo considered a new report on principals and guidelines for governance. The council endorsed five principles proposed in the study but also pointed to more fundamental questions about the future role of Challenge Programs as means of implementing the CGIAR's research agenda. Moving on to new Challenge Programs, ExCo endorsed the proposal on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security for approval by the CGIAR. To gain final approval, however, the program's proponents need to take into account comments and recommendations from the Science Council and ExCo in preparing a revised version of the proposal. Those comments centered on the relation between the Challenge Program and ongoing Center research, the effectiveness of Challenge Programs generally and other issues. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_11_print.html (2 of 2)02/12/2009 1:01:31 PM cgiarNews September 2008 Update on Change Management and the Independent Review Two parallel processes aimed at advancing CGIAR reform come to fruition, with an emerging consensus on the way forward. The Change Management Initiative and the Independent Review of the CGIAR System have been conducted in parallel, with ongoing interaction between the Independent Review Panel and the Change Team. The following is an overview of the two processes to date. Change Management Initiative The Change Management Initiative is making progress and is now at another important stage in the process . The Change Steering Team (CST) will present a proposal on the way forward at the October 1- 2 meeting of the Executive Council (ExCo15) in Lisbon, Portugal. The proposal represents an emerging consensus from the work of the change team on options for the CGIAR in relation to the future vision, means to strengthen partnerships, governance structures and finance mechanisms. The working groups, composed of CGIAR stakeholders, have made significant strides to advance the change discussion in recent months. The working group on visioning presented their initial findings and recommendations to the Executive Council at Ottawa in May (ExCo14). ExCo endorsed the vision and three strategic objectives proposed: Food for People : Create and accelerate sustainable increases in the productivity and production of healthy food by and for the poor. Environment for People : Conserve, enhance and sustainably use natural resources and biodiversity to improve the livelihoods of the poor in response to climate change and other factors. Policies for People : Promote policy and institutional change that will stimulate agricultural growth and equity to benefit the poor, especially rural women and other disadvantaged groups. The working groups on partnerships, governance and funding met in Belgium in June, furthering their discussions and debates on these critical issues. For information on the state of the debate then, refer to the Change Update from August. The groups completed their draft papers in late August and presented their findings and recommendations during the Stakeholder Consultation Retreat held at Los Baños in the Philippines. With the aim of encouraging synergy between the Independent Review and Change Management Initiative, their stakeholder consultations were conducted back-to-back in Los Baños. Further details on the Independent Review are provided below. The dialogue and debate in Los Baños was lively, leading to broad agreement on the critical importance http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_12_print.html (1 of 3)02/12/2009 1:03:01 PM cgiarNews of strengthening partnerships and the need for a new CGIAR fund and covering a range of views on governance models. As a result of the sessions, the CST was able to synthesize the best elements of the working groups' and Independent Review Panel's recommendations to produce "foundation pieces" for the way forward: q A new fund that will provide multi-year financing q A new consortium of Centers as a legal entity with a board and chief executive officer q Program financing with some institutional financing q Development of a strategy and results framework to reach strategic objectives q Implementation on the basis of program performance contracts between the fund and consortium q A new partnership framework q An independent science council q An independent evaluation arrangement at the CGIAR System level A group of CST members met on September 17-18 at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome to further develop the foundation pieces into a synthesis proposal, which will be considered at ExCo15 in Lisbon. On the basis of feedback from stakeholders, the working groups of the Change Management Initiative fine-tuned their recommendations and papers, final versions of which are now available online. Throughout the process, virtual forums have allowed interested stakeholders to engage in the debate. These forums remain open for comment (see Change Management Web site and virtual forums ). Stakeholder engagement on the Change Management Initiative will continue up to the CGIAR's 2008 Annual General Meeting (AGM08), including virtual discussions. A large face-to-face engagement will also take place during the Stakeholders Meeting at AGM08. Independent Review of the CGIAR System At the 2007 Annual General Meeting, CGIAR Members convened the Independent Review Panel to address three main objectives, namely: to take stock and assess the efficacy of the CGIAR partnership; to assess the effectiveness of CGIAR research; and to make recommendations for changes in the CGIAR system that will improve its efficacy and effectiveness in view of emerging challenges for food security, agriculture, and natural resource management of the poor. The Independent Review Panel conducted the first full-fledged system-wide review of the CGIAR in 10 years. It addressed four related topics: 1. Governance, partnership, management and alignment of the CGIAR; 2. The scientific work of the CGIAR; 3. Partnerships (with national agricultural research systems, advanced research institutes, the private sector and civil society); 4. Balanced partnership model for moving ahead. Overall, the Independent Review Panel found that recent global, regional, and local assessments of CGIAR research revealed very high returns on investment, suggesting that total investments in the CGIAR have paid for themselves by a wide margin. However, it also determined that the CGIAR is not having the collective impact that it should and that it must find new roles and priorities in a fast- changing context. The Independent Review Panel identified the factors undermining the CGIAR's impact as dysfunctional governance, financial management issues, fragmentation of research, absence of a common voice, lack of a collective strategy and no "single entry point" that facilitates dialogue or joint action on larger policy issues to reduce transactional costs for partners. In addition, funding has stagnated in real terms over the past decade. In broad terms, the Independent Review Panel's assessment confirmed that change is http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_12_print.html (2 of 3)02/12/2009 1:03:01 PM cgiarNews needed and that past efforts at reform demonstrate that an evolutionary approach will not work. They called for a rebalanced partnership to separate governance and management, to clarify accountability and to support effective decision making. The special relationship between donors, centers and partners should be strengthened through a joint strategy, mutual accountability for development results and a refocus on substantive issues. The first draft of the Independent Review Panel's technical report, presented in 16 chapters, was made available prior to the stakeholder consultation at Los Baños. This comprehensive report addressed the global context in which the CGIAR operates, governance of the CGIAR and its Centers, financing and partnerships. A synthesis report will be made available at www.cgiar.org/externalreview prior to ExCo and the Final Report presented during AGM08 at Maputo in December. http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2008/story_12_print.html (3 of 3)02/12/2009 1:03:01 PM