I C A R D A    N e w s

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS

P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105;
E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.cgiar.org
For more information contact: Dr Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
 
12 May 2005
International Conference on Agrobiodiversity
Addressing the participants, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (second from right), Director General of ICARDA, said that the GEF/UNDP project on dryland agrobiodiversity has set a landmark in integrated approaches for conservation of agrobiodiversity. Seated with him are: Dr Tim Clairs (right), Team Leader, GEF/UNDP; Prof. Dr Magdy Madkour (left), Assistant Director General (International Cooperation), ICARDA; and Dr Majd Jamal (second from left), Director General of the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Syria.
More than 137 scientists and project managers from around the world participated in the international conference on "Promoting Community-driven Conservation and Sustainable Use of Dryland Agrobiodiversity," held at ICARDA headquarters on 18-21 April 2005. Organized within the framework of the UNDP/GEF-funded project on dryland agrobiodiversity coordinated by ICARDA and implemented in Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, the conference was aimed at exchanging experiences and developing approaches to community-based agrobiodiversity conservation. The conference program included 66 oral presentations and 72 posters on various aspects of agrobiodiversity conservation.

All the opening session, the ICARDA Assistant Director General (Research), Dr William Erskine, welcomed the participants on behalf of the Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy. He said that full involvement of local communities is very important for protecting genetic resources to ensure food security. "Local knowledge and initiatives of local people can provide important keys to sustainable rural development," he said. The UNDP/GEF dryland agrobiodiversity regional project implemented during the past six years in collaboration with ACSAD and IPGRI and the NARS of the respective countries, has led the way to developing community approaches to conservation of landraces and wild relatives of important species in the Fertile Crescent. Dr Erskine said that the project took a holistic approach linking the livelihoods of local communities with the conservation and sustainable use of local biodiversity. He called upon participants to identify best possible ways of empowering local communities to effectively contribute to conserving the valuable agrobiodiversity.
Participants of the international conference on "Promoting Community-driven Conservation and Sustainable Use of Dryland Agrobiodiversity,” held at ICARDA headquarters, 18-21 April.

On behalf of the Syrian Government, the Director General of the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Dr Majd Jamal, welcomed the participants to Syria. He said that since Syria is one of the countries in the Fertile Crescent, the center of mega-diversity, it was appropriate for the conference to be held here.
Workshop participants visiting a conservation site in Sweida province, Syria.

The UNDP Representative to Syria, Dr Ali Zaatary, said that UNDP appreciates the vital link between agrobiodiversity conservation and sustainable human development. The Arab Human Development Report 2002 indicated that the region faces severe water scarcity, desertification and erosion of diversity. He thanked ICARDA and the NARS of the region for their efforts to conserve agrobiodiversity. He noted that conservation of the rich plant diversity for future generations is one of the ways to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

The conference comprised nine sessions on: understanding the status of current trends of dryland agrobiodiversity; documentation and characterization of agrobiodiversity using new tools; utilization of plant genetic resources in crop improvement; promoting agrobiodiversity conservation under natural habitats; promoting on-farm conservation of agrobiodiversity; add-value technologies and alternative sources of income; increasing public awareness; enabling policies and legislation for conservation of agrobiodiversity; and other values and benefits of agrobiodiversity.

During the closing session, the ICARDA Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, said that the GEF/UNDP dryland agrobiodiversity project has set a landmark in integrated approaches for conservation of dryland agrobiodiversity. "Requests have come in from several countries in Central and West Asia and North Africa for conducting similar projects," he said. "Efforts must be made not only to sustain this momentum but also to build on it through follow-up studies and projects with assistance from donor organizations."

NGOs displayed local agrobiodiversity products at an exhibition in Sweida, Syria, during the visit of the workshop participants.
Prof. Dr El-Beltagy said that the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment findings indicate an erosion of dryland agrobiodiversity largely because of human neglect. "Biodiversity in the dry areas has benefited all countries but there is a lot of degradation and loss. We need to capture traditional knowledge on conservation," he said.

The DG thanked all the NARS of the participating countries, especially the Palestinian Authority which had to implement the project amidst the ongoing conflict. He also thanked UNDP/GEF, ACSAD, and IPGRI for their support that has enabled the successful implementation of the dryland agrobiodiversity project and IDRC for the financial support for the conference. He said that ICARDA will continue to support efforts to conserve the valuable agrobiodiversity in the region.

In his closing remarks, the Director General of GCSAR, Dr Majd Jamal said, "I enjoyed being with all the scientists at ICARDA because of the good scientific atmosphere in this place. I hope this conference will be the beginning of more conferences on agrobiodiversity."

The UNDP/GEF Representative in the Arab region, Dr Tim Clairs, praised the achievements of the dryland agrobiodiversity project and said that the project has managed to raise the profile of dryland agrobiodiversity within GEF. Now that the project is coming to an end, he said, it is important to use the results and successes to push forward the agenda for dryland agrobiodiversity.

In their recommendations, presented by Dr Ahmed Amri, Coordinator of the UNDP/GEF dryland agrobiodiversity project, workshop participants called for more work on community-based in-situ conservation both at national and regional levels. They recommended that special attention should be given to dryland agrobiodiversity; outscaling of the experiences of the UNDP/GEF dryland agrobiodiversity project; capacity building and awareness creation especially on international agreements related to agrobiodiversity; regional networking and coordination; and use of new tools of science in conservation efforts.

Participants visited ICARDA laboratories and facilities for genetic resources in-situ and ex-situ conservation.
Local artists presented a musical performance on the importance of agrobiodiversity conservation to the participants during their visit to Sweida, Syria.
On 21 April 2005, they attended, in the presence of the Governor of Sweida, the opening of the regional agrobiodiversity fair, where the NGOs presented their local products until 25 April 2005. The participants then visited the project activities in Sweida region including a private agrobiodiversity nursery and the reforested area with native wild fruit trees, and interacted with local herder communities to discuss the rangeland management and alternative land uses. During the lunch, offered by the Syrian Component, the rural theater team performed a play highlighting the importance of local agrobiodiversity and the role of each person in contributing to its preservation and sustainable use. The drawings that won the painting contest were displayed as well (more information.)

The National and Regional teams were highly commended for the good organization of the conference and the results achieved by the project.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
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