ICARDA News

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.org
29 March 2007
                             Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
Expert Consultation Workshop on Horticulture
Governments and development organizations in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region are keen to tap the market potential of horticultural products as a means to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. To better understand the prospects and constraints, ICARDA and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) organized an Expert Consultation Workshop on 'The Role of Domestic and Export Marketing of Horticultural Commodities in Poverty Alleviation in the NENA Region'.
Dr Mona Bishay (second right), Director of IFAD’s NENA Division, and Dr Mahmoud Solh (second left), Director General of ICARDA, opened the ‘Expert Consultation Workshop on Horticulture’. Others in the picture are Dr William Erskine (left), ADG Research, ICARDA; and Dr Colin Piggin, ICARDA MP4 Director.

The workshop was held at ICARDA, 13-15 March 2007. There were over 35 participants, representing NARS, universities and development organizations from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey; as well as international organizations such as AVRDC, CIRAD, FAO, ICARDA, IFAD, and The World Bank.

The workshop was opened by Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General of ICARDA; and Dr Mona Bishay, Director of IFAD's NENA Division. Dr Solh expressed happiness over the presence of a strong IFAD delegation which "reflects the importance of the theme of this meeting," he said. "We all know that horticulture plays a key role in many developing countries - and especially in this region. For example in Afghanistan, horticulture accounts for 40% of agricultural output… The challenge is how to help farmers move from subsistence agriculture to a market economy, by diversifying their product base."
Director General Honored
During the horticulture workshop, Dr Mahmoud Solh (left), Director General of ICARDA, was honored by Ain Shams University, Egypt, with a plaque as a “token of gratitude and recognition”. Dr Ayman Abu Hadid, Chairman, Department of Horticulture and Director, Arid Land Agriculture Research and Services Center, Ain Shams University, presented the plaque to Dr Solh on 13 March.
He also highlighted the synergies among the partners. "ICARDA's objective is to identify researchable areas and contribute to technological improvement. Our other comparative advantage is our regional presence and our strong links with NARS partners. IFAD, as a development organization, can support large-scale outscaling of horticulture technologies, leading to major improvements in rural livelihoods." Dr Solh also briefly described ICARDA's role in two global initiatives: the Challenge Program on High-value Crops and Products (led by AVRDC) and the FAO/WHO Fruit and Vegetable Initiative.

 Dr Solh raised an important question for discussion: given the substantial (but scattered) expertise in horticulture within the region, and the need for greater South-South partnerships, should we explore the possibility of a regional network for horticulture?
Dr Mona Bishay noted that "Horticulture is becoming increasingly important for R&D organizations, and for IFAD." She highlighted the emerging partnership between ICARDA and IFAD. "This workshop is the first in a series; the next will be on medicinal plants. Such collaboration illustrates the successful partnership - our long-standing collaboration has grown even stronger in recent times, and I am confident it will grow further. This partnership is based on strong complementarities across the research-development continuum."

She expressed her optimism that "Exchange of knowledge at this meeting will define researchable objectives to direct ICARDA's agenda; orient IFAD's planning strategies for outscaling and stimulating development; and clearly focus immediate interventions in horticulture."

Dr Bishay also made a separate presentation describing IFAD's objectives, approach and activities, and the socioeconomic context. She also discussed the reasons why horticulture could have substantial impact on the livelihoods of poor farmers; as well as the constraints to the development of market-oriented horticulture in the NENA region.

Dr William Erskine, ADG-Research, made a presentation on production systems in the region, illustrating how the crop-livestock-horticulture mix altered with biophysical as well as socioeconomic conditions (e.g. market access, infrastructure). He provided an overview of ICARDA's horticulture work - ranging from faba bean and peas to recent work on mint and date palm. Previous and ongoing work covered various aspects, including crop diversification, economic and institutional analysis, plant protection, and land and water management, depending on the species and region of interest.
Participants of the ‘Expert Consultation Workshop on Horticulture’, ICARDA, 13-15 March 2007. Dr Mahmoud Solh and Dr Mona Bishay are sixth and seventh from left, respectively.

"In the future, we will focus on a few priority species," Dr Erskine said. "This workshop should help answer various questions. Where should we focus? What criteria should we use to identify priority species and regions? What researchable areas are important to ICARDA, and to NARS?"

Dr Colin Piggin, Director of ICARDA's Mega-Project on Crop Diversification, summarized the workshop objectives and approach, and the planned structure of presentations, discussions and working groups. The workshop was structured around four themes - assessing market potential and comparative advantage; evaluating constraints; examining success stories to draw lessons; and identifying actions, programs and partnerships to promote smallholder production and marketing. There were 17 excellent presentations and a series of theme-based discussion sessions. The workshop included a field trip to see pomegranate production and processing at a family farm at Bassouta; and olive and vegetable processing and international marketing in Idlib, with the help of the Syrian Olive Research Department.

Feedback from participants was highly positive; they felt the outcomes were valuable, and that the workshop would stimulate more support and interaction on horticulture. Key agreements were reached at the workshop:
•
 The International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS) is keen to collaborate on publication of the workshop proceedings.
•
 A strategy document will be produced, based on the workshop deliberations, on opportunities for horticultural development in the NENA region.
•
 A NENA horticulture group will be formed, with the participation of NARS, ICARDA, IFAD, CIRAD, AVRDC, ISHS, FAO, World Bank and Bioversity International (IPGRI).
 

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.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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