ICARDA Caravan, Issue No. 24

From the Director General

ICARDA’s research is based on a holistic view of crop/livestock production systems in dry areas. Horticulture is an important component of these systems. The Center is located in the heart of the region where several globally important fruit trees and vegetable crops originated.

ICARDA’s research is based on a holistic view of crop/livestock production systems in dry areas. Horticulture is an important component of these systems. The Center is located in the heart of the region where several globally important fruit trees and vegetable crops originated.

Since its inception in 1977, ICARDA has worked on peas and faba bean, which are used both as grain and vegetable crops. Recent research has focused on mint, date palm, fruits, vegetables, and herbal and medicinal plants. Livestock similarly provide significant opportunities, from primary outputs (meat, milk) as well as from dairy products such as cheese and yogurt.

ICARDA’s mission is to alleviate poverty by improving the livelihoods of farming communities. Often, the key is to add value to primary crop and livestock outputs. This issue of Caravan provides glimpses of the Center’s work to help farmers and pastoralists add value to their products, and thereby improve their incomes and livelihoods.

Articles in this issue describe how value-addition options were identified for herbal and medicinal plants in a remote valley in Morocco; how cactus species – that combine hardiness with high market value – are being promoted in North Africa; and how value addition is helping to conserve biodiversity in Jordan.

In Afghanistan, ICARDA and its partners are helping to promote value addition in mint and saffron. ‘Protected agriculture’ options are being promoted in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere, enabling small-scale farmers to grow high-value fruits and vegetables.

In West Asia the Center and its partners are developing improved crossbred sheep with higher meat and milk productivity. Studies in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela have catalyzed major changes in livestock management at community level, improving incomes as well as rangeland health.

Technology development is supported by capacity building. ICARDA and its partners have been conducting training courses for several thousand participants from developing countries: farmers, researchers, extension staff, university students and others. Training programs range from simple methods to process milk into cheese or fruits into jam, to management of small agri-enterprises, to DNA fingerprinting and other biotechnology applications.

Most important, the Center is building partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders. For example, ICARDA is involved in two global initiatives for value addition: the Challenge Program on High-Value Crops and Products (led by AVRDC) and the FAO/WHO Fruit and Vegetable Initiative. Partnerships with national research centers in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran and Qatar have been expanded, to specifically target value addition of crop, fruit/nut/tree and livestock production. A network for the Near East and North Africa is being established to harness available expertise within the region.

These partnerships – and the enormous synergies they offer – will help ensure that value addition (technologies, training, market linkages and policy support) becomes a major focus in research-for- development plans throughout the developing world.

	Mahmoud Solh
	Director General, ICARDA

Contents | About ICARDA and the CGIAR | From the Director General
Table of Issues | ICARDA Publications | ICARDA Home