Oustanding partnership – CAC program wins King Baudouin Award. Left to right: H.E. Venancio Massingue, Minister of Science and Technology, Govt. of Mozambique; Dr Kathy Sierra, CGIAR Chair; Dr Mahmoud Solh; Dr Christopher Martius; Acad. Hukmatullo Akhmadov; and H.E. Jan Mutton, Belgian Ambassador to South Africa.

The program was launched at the initiative of ICARDA’s former Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, who organized the first meeting for the CAC in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 5 December 1995.

The Program is implemented by a large consortium of partners: national research systems of eight countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), eight CGIAR Centers (Bioversity International, CIMMYT, CIP, ICARDA, ICRISAT, IFPRI, ILRI, IWMI), two other international research centers (AVRDC, ICBA), and Michigan State University.

The Program was formally established in 1998, and is hosted by ICARDA's Regional Office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. An independent external review in 2008 evaluated the Program's achievements over the past 10 years, and gave a very positive report. The Program has generated massive impacts in several areas: genetic resource conservation, germplasm improvement, seed systems, cropping systems and agricultural diversification, integrated crop-livestock systems, small ruminant production, soil, water and salinity management, socioeconomic and policy research; and most important, building national research capacity and strengthening cooperation within and beyond the CAC region.

Fittingly, the award was received jointly by Dr Christopher Martius, Head of the Program Facilitation Unit; Acad. Hukmatullo Akhmadov, President of the Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Chairman of the CAC Association of Agricultural Research Institutes, representing the eight partner countries; and Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General of ICARDA, the Convening Center and Chairman of the CGIAR Task Force on CAC, representing the Centers involved in the consortium.

Accepting the award, Dr Martius emphasized: "I receive the prize on behalf of the entire consortium… The Program is an example of fruitful and constructive collaboration between the NARS in every partner country, multiple CGIAR Centers, and other institutions… The Program would not have been possible without the consistent, enthusiastic support from the NARS to establish a CGIAR support office in the region that provides bridges into the modern world of science." He acknowledged the key roles played by others. "The program owes its existence also to the untiring efforts of Adel El-Beltagy and Mahmoud Solh, former and current Directors General of ICARDA." He also highlighted the role of his predecessors, Surendra Beniwal and Raj Paroda, in firmly establishing the program as a genuine, equitable partnership.

Dr Solh said, "the CAC Program is an excellent example of true partnership, and applies research to find solutions to the challenges facing regions in economic transition. Despite these challenges, there are substantial opportunities for improvement. Promoting better land-use technologies and linking poor farmers to markets will provide opportunities for the predominantly rural populations in these countries."

Acad. Akhmadov noted that the award is a recognition of the efforts of every partner, and pledged renewed commitment to even greater efforts for agricultural development in poor rural areas across the region.