The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) has implemented a decentralized research for development strategy that builds on ICARDA's partnerships with national agricultural systems in dry areas.
ICARDA's program now works through research platforms in Ethiopia, India and Morocco and thematic research sites in Egypt, Sudan and Turkey, each of which focuses on specific agro-ecosystems and livelihood-related priorities.
ICARDA also continues its research and services in Jordan and Lebanon.
May 2014: The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) has implemented a decentralized research for development strategy that builds on ICARDA’s partnerships with national agricultural systems in dry areas. ICARDA’s program now works through research platforms in Ethiopia, India and Morocco and thematic research sites in Egypt, Sudan and Turkey, each of which focuses on specific agro-ecosystems and livelihood-related priorities. ICARDA also continues its research and services in Jordan and Lebanon.
Through its decentralized research strategy, ICARDA aims “to work more closely with our partner countries and their research teams to support national food security and development strategies and to speed the delivery of science to benefit their smallholder farmers,” said Camilla Toulmin, ICARDA Board Chair. ICARDA’s Director General, Mahmoud Solh, said the Center now has greater flexibility to adapt to new challenges facing the agro-ecologies of the dry areas, such as climate change.
ICARDA’s North African Platform in Morocco focuses on diversification and sustainable intensification of rainfed cereal-based production systems, including integrated pest management. The South Asia Platform in India concentrates on natural resource management (NRM) and food legume systems. The Sub-Saharan Africa Platform in Ethiopia works on integrated crop-livestock systems.
ICARDA’s West Asia research program in Jordan builds resilience in marginal lands through integrated crop-rangeland systems and water harvesting. Egypt’s thematic research location addresses high-input irrigated agriculture systems, while the Turkey site specializes in wheat diseases. In Sudan, the thematic research location focuses on heat tolerant wheat and food legumes.
ICARDA presented its progress in implementing its strategic decentralization strategy at the 54th Meeting of its Board of Trustees, which took place in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA’s host country. ICARDA is a part of the CGIAR consortium. [ICARDA Press Release] [ICARDA Press Release on Board Meeting] [ICARDA Regional Programs]