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
15 October 2008
Media contact: icarda-media@cgiar.org
 
Strengthening Collaboration with the Netherlands
The visiting Netherlands delegation explored possibilities for funding new research-for-development initiatives. Left to right: Director General Mahmoud Solh, Monique Calon, and Ron Havinga, Senior Policy Advisors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands.
Two senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands visited ICARDA headquarters, 8-9 October. They were Monique Calon, Senior Policy Advisor, Department for Sustainable Economic Development; and Ron Havinga, Senior Policy Advisor, Environment and Water Department, Directorate for International Cooperation. The Dutch government has indicated that in the coming years they will once again provide significant funding for ICARDA's work; this visit was aimed at learning more about our new strategic direction, and the outputs and impact of previous research.

 The visit is a follow-up to a visit to the Netherlands by an ICARDA?team in April 2008. The team, comprising Director General Mahmoud Solh, DDG Research Maarten van Ginkel, and Afghanistan Country Manager Javed Rizvi, highlighted ICARDA's achievements, and the urgent need for funding support to implement its research-for-development agenda. At the request of the Netherlands, the team focused primarily on ICARDA’s work in Afghanistan.
Netherlands officials visit the ICARDA genebank. Left to right: Ahmed Amri, Monique Calon, Ron Havinga and Maarten van Ginkel.
The Dutch visitors noted that "ICARDA's mission to improve livelihoods in areas where a large proportion of the poorest people live, is also at the heart of the Netherlands' development cooperation objectives." They met with the Director General, DDG-Research, Program Directors and senior scientists. They also visited the research facilities at Tel Hadya, including the genebank. They were particularly interested in on-farm/in situ conservation of dryland agrobiodiversity, and how to sustain the technical backstopping that ICARDA provides to national genebanks in the CAC region.

The discussions covered a range of topics: the role of international research centers, complementarity between various actors (CGIAR Centers, NARS, development agencies, government, private sector etc), production constraints in dry areas, approaches to poverty reduction, cross-border aspects of land and water management, environmental impact assessment, local and national institutions, and the need to focus on crops that do not normally feature on research agendas.

At the wrap-up meeting to conclude their visit, the Dutch delegation provided some very positive feedback on ICARDA’s research programs, outputs and impacts. “Thank you for your hospitality... We found that ICARDA was much more than we had initially imagined.” They were particularly impressed with our networking with NARS and our impact orientation. As a follow-up, and at the request of the delegation, ICARDA scientists and management are preparing an information ‘brief’ for the Netherlands Ministry. The brief will highlight examples of farm-level impact, and identify specific areas where future funding will lead to maximum impact and tangible improvements in livelihoods.
 

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) is one of the 15 international research centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICARDA 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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