ICARDA Annual Report 2003

H I G H L I G H T S O F T H E Y E A R

In 2003, ICARDA sharpened the focus of its research and training activities on poverty alleviation and improving livelihoods in the dry areas with a view to making increased contributions to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly those related to agriculture: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure environmental sustainability, and build a global partnership for development. As in past years, ICARDA continued to promote partnerships with national agricultural research systems (NARS) and advanced research institutes. The collaborative research led to the release of more than 29 varieties of cereal and legume crops in 15 countries of the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region. During the year, a Center-Commisioned External Review of ICARDA’s outreach activities was conducted. The Review Panel commended the Center for the successful establishment and expansion of its regional programs which cover all the countries of the CWANA region in a compre-hensive manner. The panel also noted that the Center is held in high esteem among national scientists and research managers. The top policy makers are well aware of the activities carried out jointly by their countries and ICARDA. The year also saw continued active participation of the Center in global and regional initiatives related to agricultural research and development in dry areas. Efforts to rebuild agriculture in Afghanistan continued, and new initiatives were taken to support agricultural research and infrastructure development in Iraq. The work of some staff members earned honors and awards. Some of the highlights of the Center’s activities are presented here; progress made in specific projects is reported in subsequent chapters.

Fostering Development of Dry Areas

During the year, ICARDA participated in and organized several meetings aimed at fostering the development of agricultural research in the dry areas.

H.E. Prof. Dr Youssuf Wally (center), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt, inaugurated two World Bank Consultation workshops in a joint opening session in February in Cairo. Present with him were Dr Mahmoud Ayoub (left), Director, World Bank Country Department, Cairo; Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (second from left), Director General, ICARDA; H.E. Mr Sayed Hussain Anwari (second from right), Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Afghanistan; and Dr Kevin Cleaver (right), Director, Rural Development Department, the World Bank.

• Two consultation workshops on rural development in the CWANA region were jointly organized by ICARDA and the World Bank in February in Cairo. The first workshop focused on the “World Bank Strategy for Rural Development: Reaching the Rural Poor,” and the second on the proposed “International Assessment of the Role of Agricultural Science and Technology in Reducing Hunger, Improving Rural Livelihoods, and Stimulating Economically Sustainable Growth.” Drs Kevin Cleaver, Latitia Obeng, and Csaba Csaki, from the World Bank, presented the latest strategy papers. At the joint opening session of the two workshops, H.E. Prof. Dr Youssuf Wally, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt, appreciated the initiative, “which would greatly help in the rural development efforts in the region,” he said. H.E. Mr Sayed Hussain Anwari, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Afghanistan, was among those who participated in the workshop.

At the Fakhrabad site in Tajikistan, Mr Sadulla, a farmer participating in an experiment on terracing and mulching to reduce soil erosion, shows Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (left), ICARDA Director General, the successful establishment of fruit tree saplings with improvised drip irrigation using plastic bottles and straw mulching. The success rate was more than 80%.

• Water scarcity and its potential adverse consequences for food security in dry areas was the key message delivered by ICARDA Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy at the ministerial and other high-level meetings during the Third World Water Forum (WWF) in Kyoto, Japan, in March 2003. Prof. El-Beltagy called for special attention to be given to the “serious water scarcity situation in the dry areas” to safeguard the food security of the one billion people who live in these areas and ensure “the sustainability of their ecological systems.” He highlighted ICARDA’s role in managing this scarce resource by improving water-use efficiency for sustainable food production. The Ministerial declaration of the forum reflected the urgency of dealing with water scarcity, adoption of new policies, and the use of cutting-edge science to address the problems.

The ICARDA-sponsored Workshop Panel at the Third World Water Forum. From left to right, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA Director General; Dr Margaret Catley-Carlson, Board Chair, ICARDA; H.E. Dr Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Egypt; Dr Ismail Seralgeldin, Director, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt; Professor Theodor Hsiao, University of California, Davis; and Professor Iwao Kobori, former Vice-Chair, ICARDA Board of Trustees, United Nations University, Japan.

Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA Director General, discussed the ongoing ICARDA-Iran collaboration with H.E. Eng. Mahmoud Hojjati (center), Minister of Jihad-e-Agriculture, and Dr Ali Ahoonmanesh (left), Deputy Minister for Agricultural Research and Education, Iran, during the Seventh International Conference on Development of Dry Lands, held in Tehran, Iran.

• Researchers and research administrators from 25 countries met at the Seventh International Conference on Development of Dry Lands, held in Tehran, Iran, 14-17 September, to explore how technology can help ensure sustainable development in the world’s dry areas. The Conference, organized under the auspices of the International Dry Lands Development Commission (IDDC), was jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Iran, and ICARDA. Additional support was provided by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and COMSTEC (Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation). Over 217 participants made 100 oral presentations and 80 poster displays covering soil and water degradation and conservation, forage and range management, biodiversity conservation and utilization, stress physiology, biotechnology, development and transfer of new technologies for dry lands, and exploitation of indigenous knowledge and heritage. The Conference was inaugurated by H.E. Eng. Mahmoud Hojjati, Minister of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Iran, and Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA Director General and Chair of IDDC.

Iraqi and ICARDA scientists discussing work plans to rebuild agriculture in Iraq. Left to right: Dr Azzildeen Al Shamma, Ministry of Agriculture; Dr Adnan Adary, IPA Agricultural Research Center; Dr Naked A. Khamis, Ministry of Agriculture; Dr Kutaiba M. Hassan, Ministry of Agriculture; Dr W. Erskine, ADG (Research), ICARDA; and Dr Ali Abd El-Moneim, Acting Director, Germplasm Program, ICARDA.

• Representatives from regional research and development organizations met at ICARDA headquarters in May to consider options for establishing a genebank to safeguard the plant genetic resources in the Arab World. Prof. El-Beltagy emphasized the importance of cooperation in genetic resources conservation, and gave a brief review of the regional genebank initiative, which was first proposed formally about 10 years ago, after the signing of the international Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The convention recognized each country’s sovereign right to its biological diversity, but made clear that each country has a responsibility to conserve biodiversity and share it with other countries. The regional genebank approach was proposed to raise countries’ capacity to conserve biodiversity and fulfill the obligations outlined in the CBD. The United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP-ROWA) reinvigorated the initiative by funding a feasibility study conducted by ICARDA in 2002. UNEP-ROWA and ICARDA convened the meeting to consider three options arising from the study: (i) establish a network of existing national genebanks, (ii) establish four subregional genebanks, and (iii) set up a major, fully centralized genetic resources center to hold a duplicate set of the region’s germplasm and cover all aspects of germplasm collection, conservation, and sharing.

Dr Michael Baum (right) briefing the Australian delegation on ICARDA’s biotechnology research. Standing next to him is Mr Sandy Macdonald, Senator for New South Wales, National Party, and Leader of the Delegation.

Rebuilding Agriculture in Afghanistan

A group discussion with farmers during a training course on seed production in Afghanistan.

Within the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan (FHCRAA), led by ICARDA, the Center established three main quality control and quarantine seed testing stations and six satellite seed stations at strategic locations in the country with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Badam Bagh station near Kabul was rehabilitated and reequipped. It will serve as Afghanistan’s national seed testing and seed health laboratory. To set the facility in motion, ICARDA organized two training courses at Badam Bagh in June 2003 for newly recruited quality assurance personnel. The courses included the start-up and calibration of seed quality testing and seed health testing facilities. The participants received practical training in seed testing for quality control and seed health, working in small groups according to their back-ground and future assignments at various laboratories in the country.

Afghanistan Minister of Agriculture and Livestock H.E. Mr Sayed Hussain Anwari cuts the ribbon to inaugurate the Ministry’s refurbished recording studio, assisted by Dr Nasrat Wassimi (right), Executive Manager of ICARDA’s Kabul office.

The Consortium refurbished the audio recording studio and provided modern digital recording and editing equipment to enable the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MOAL) to raise the number and quality of its radio programs for farmers. The new studio was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Afghanistan Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, H.E. Mr Sayed Hussain Anwari, on 11 September 2003. The Agricultural Radio Project’s weekly program “Sow Well, Reap Well” is now quite popular with the farmers throughout the country.

A competitive grants program on short-term, high impact projects, funded by USAID and managed by ICARDA, made significant contributions to rebuilding agriculture in Afghanistan.

Center Commissioned Review of ICARDA’s Outreach Activities

During the year, a Center-Commissioned External Review (CCER) of ICARDA’s outreach activities was conducted. Issues of strategic importance including the regional coverage of the outreach activities, devolution/outsourcing, interaction with NARS, interplay between research and outreach, and information management were examined.

CCER Panel Chair, Dr Lukas Brader (fourth from left) and Panel member, Dr Mohammad H. Roozitalab (fifth from left) visited the experimental farm of the Uzbek Cotton Growing Research Institute as part of the review of ICARDA's outreach activities. Dr Feiruza Khasanova briefed them about research activities on conservation tillage.

The Panel consisted of Dr Lukas Brader, former Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as Chairman; Dr Abderrazak Daaloul, Director General for Agricultural Production, Ministry of Agriculture, Tunisia; and Dr Mohammad H. Roozitalab, Deputy Head, International Scientific Research and Education Organization, Iran, and Chair of Global Forum for Agricultural Research. The Panel visited 10 countries in the region and held discussions with various stakeholders, as well as with ICARDA staff members. At the end of the review, the Panel made 10 recommendations for further strengthening ICARDA’s outreach activities.

Noting that ICARDA has the most intensive and extensive collaborative research and related activities with its partners in the mandate region, the Panel commended the Center for the successful establishment and expansion of its regional programs which cover all the countries of the CWANA region in a compre-hensive manner. The establishment of the regional programs has allowed the Center to adjust efficiently to new realities and to carry out research together with partners in areas of direct relevance to the countries and donors.

“The development and implementation of this well adapted and unique research management mechanism, as well as the mobilization of the necessary resources, is a good demonstration of the excellent foresight and communication and planning capabilities of ICARDA management and staff,” the Panel commented.

The Panel also noted that the Center is held in high esteem among national scientists and research managers. The top policy makers are well aware of the activities carried out jointly by their countries with ICARDA.

The Panel, however, expressed concern over the on-going reduction in core funding which has considerably limited the Center’s control over the balance between priority research areas. In this connection a recommendation was made for ICARDA to work with national partners on modalities to utilize funds for rural development and related projects for agricultural research in the various countries.

Other recommendations focused on ICARDA’s work in Latin America, activities in highland areas, information flow between the Center and outreach offices, and possibilities for expanding ICARDA’s role as an honest broker in triangular arrangements between the Center, specialized research institutes, and countries in CWANA.

Promoting Strategic Partnerships

Dr Kamel Feliachi (left), INRAA Director General, and Dr Mohammed El-Mourid, Coordinator of ICARDA's North Africa Regional Program, cut the ribbon to inaugurate an ICARDA liaison office at INRAA in Algiers.

• In October, a new ICARDA liaison office at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique d’Algérie (INRAA) was opened to strengthen cooperation and improve communication between the Center and Algeria’s national program. This followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Algeria’s Ministry of Agriculture and ICARDA to backstop the activities of the National Plan for Agricultural and Rural Development.

• ICARDA hosted several distinguished visitors and delegations during the year. These included: a delegation of seven members of the Australian Parliament; H.E. Prof. Sami Gulcu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Turkey; H.E. Frank Hesske, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Syria; H.E. Peter Ford, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Syria; H.E. Azusa Hayashi, Japanese Ambassador to Syria; H.E Svein Sevje, Ambassador of Norway to Syria; a delegation of members of parliament and senior agriculturalists from Iran; a senior delegation from Tottori University, Japan; and senior scientists from the Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq. These visiting delegations were briefed about the work of ICARDA. Specific details of the Center’s work in relation to the respective countries and areas of future collaboration in research were reviewed.

Honors and Awards

• Dr Robert D. Havener, former ICARDA Board Chair, was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service by Ohio State University (OSU), USA, in recognition of his outstanding contributions and services in international agriculture. Dr Havener is former Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico, President Emeritus of Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development, and founding member and former senior consultant of the World Food Prize Foundation. He served as a Project Development Officer for the establishment of ICARDA and as a member of its founding Board of Trustees. More recently, he again served on the ICARDA Board of Trustees and as its Chair from 1999 to May 2003.

• Honorary doctorate degrees were conferred on Dr Mohan C. Saxena, Assistant Director General (At-Large) and Dr Rajendra Singh Paroda, Head of Program Facilitation Unit of the CGIAR Program for Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC) and Regional Coordinator, ICARDA-CAC, on 14 November 2003 by the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, based in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, on the occasion of its annual convocation. The honor recognizes the contributions of Drs Saxena and Paroda to agricultural research and development in developing countries, particularly India.

• Dr Rajendra Singh Paroda also received two other awards during the year: the prestigious Dr B.P. Pal Memorial Award and a gold medal from the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India, for his “singular outstanding contributions in the field of agricultural research and development in India”; and honorary professor of Samarkand State University, Uzbekistan.

• An ICARDA poster was one of the winners among the top five selected for an award at the Second Triennial Conference of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), held in Dakar, Senegal, 22-24 May, under the theme “Linking Research and Rural Innovation to Sustainable Development.” More than 400 researchers, research administrators, farmers, members of the private sector, and donors took part. A panel of judges awarded a plaque of recognition to ICARDA for a poster entitled “Protected Agriculture in the Mountain Terraces of Yemen: More Income for Farmers from Less Water,” authored by Dr Ahmed Moustafa, Coordinator of ICARDA’s Arabian Peninsula Regional Program; and Abdul Wahed Mukred, Amin Al-Kirshi, Mohammad Al-Sadi, and Mohammad Al-Dhubani, all of the Agricultural Research and Extension Authority (AREA), Yemen, based on the collaborative research.

New crop varieties released in 2003
In 2003, ICARDA and its partners released several new varieties of barley, chickpea, wheat, faba bean, lentil and forages.
Barley:	‘INIAP-Pacha2003’ and ‘INIAP-Canicapa20’ in Ecuador; ‘Capuchona Plus’ in Mexico
Chickpea:	‘Bouchra’ and ‘Neyer’ in Tunisia; ‘INCT’ in Turkey, ‘Elexir’ in Georgia; and ‘Narmin’ in Azerbaijan
Durum wheat:	‘Boussellam-3’ in Algeria; INRA 1804, 1805, 1807, 1808, and 1809 in Morocco, and ‘Nasr’ in Tunisia
Faba bean:	‘Farah’ and ‘Cairo’ in Australia; S.L.L in China; ‘Sakha 3’ in Egypt; and ‘Chahbi’ in Tunisia
Lentil:	‘Assano’ in Ethiopia; ‘Hala’ in Lebanon; ‘Zaria’ in Morocco, ‘Masoor-2002’ in Pakistan; and ‘Siliana,’ and ‘Kef’ in Tunisia
Forages:	‘Abigi,’ ‘Abika,’ and ‘Abiza’ in Georgia

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Foreword Highlights of the Year ICARDA’s Research Portfolio International Cooperation Research Support Services Appendices
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