International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Name	International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Abbreviation	ICARDA
Founded	1977
Headquarters	Beirut, Lebanon; Rabat, Morocco
Region served	West Asia, North Africa, Central Asia, East Africa
Focus	Agricultural research, crop improvement, agrobiodiversity, dryland systems

International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas is an international agricultural research institute established to address crop production, agrobiodiversity, natural resource management, and rural livelihoods in arid and semi-arid regions. The institute operates across multiple countries and collaborates with research organizations, universities, and multilateral agencies to develop resilient cropping systems, improved varieties, and policy-relevant evidence for food security. It has relocated headquarters and field hubs in response to regional conflicts and climate pressures, maintaining partnerships with national programs and international research networks.

History and founding

The centre was created in 1977 through discussions involving the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Development Programme, International Fund for Agricultural Development, World Bank, and participating national agricultural research systems such as CIMMYT, ICRISAT, CIAT, Bioversity International, and IRRI. Early governance involved donor states including United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, and regional stakeholders from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Morocco. Founding scientific directors engaged experts from Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, United Nations Environment Programme, International Rice Research Institute, and universities such as University of California, Davis, University of Reading, Cairo University, and Sanaa University. The centre established regional stations and collaborations with national research centers like ICARDA (Syria)—note: institutional operations adapted after the Syrian Civil War and risks to staff prompted relocation to hubs in Lebanon and Morocco. Early achievements were recognized by awards and citations from institutions such as World Food Prize, Millennium Development Goals initiatives, and programmes linked to Global Environment Facility and CGIAR partners.

Mandate and research focus

The mandate emphasizes crop improvement, genetic resources, water management, livestock integration, and socio-economic research for dry areas. Research themes intersect with work by CGIAR Research Program on Wheat, CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes, CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems, International Plant Protection Convention, and Convention on Biological Diversity priorities. Crop portfolios include collaboration on wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, faba bean, lupin, forage legumes, and pasture species in coordination with breeding programs at Kew Gardens-linked germplasm networks, National Agriculture Research Centre (Pakistan), Syria’s Agricultural Research Center, and ICARDA genebank activities aligned with Svalbard Global Seed Vault protocols. The mandate also connects to climate initiatives like UNFCCC negotiations, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and resilience frameworks from United Nations Framework programmes.

Organizational structure and governance

The governance model features a board of trustees comprised of representatives from donor countries, partner organizations, and research institutions such as CGIAR, FAO, and UNDP. Scientific leadership includes directors, program directors, and thematic team leads recruited from universities including Ain Shams University, University of Oxford, University of Nottingham, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and research centers such as National Institute of Agricultural Botany. Operational hubs coordinate with national agricultural research systems like ICARDA Morocco Hub, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, and regional bodies including Arab Organization for Agricultural Development and African Union agricultural departments. Administrative oversight intersects with donor oversight from European Union, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Crop Diversity Trust, and multilateral lenders such as Asian Development Bank when projects require co-financing.

Programs and projects

Programs span breeding, integrated pest management, water harvesting, rangeland management, and socio-economic studies. Notable initiatives link to Wheat Program (CGIAR), Climate-Smart Agriculture pilots coordinated with UNEP and World Meteorological Organization, water use efficiency projects aligned with International Water Management Institute, and seed systems work with Seed Systems Group partners like Seed Alliance and Syngenta Foundation. Projects have been implemented in collaboration with national programs such as ICARDA-Turkey partnerships, Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture projects, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Moroccan Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Tunisia’s INRAT, and Sudan’s ARC. Research outputs include variety release dossiers submitted to national variety release committees and contribution to regional initiatives like Arab League agricultural strategies and African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme.

Partnerships and collaborations

The centre collaborates extensively with CGIAR centers including CIMMYT, ICRISAT, CIAT, IRRI, Bioversity International, ILRI, and IFPRI; with universities such as Imperial College London, Harvard University, Michigan State University, University of Sydney, Aarhus University, and Zagazig University; and with multilateral agencies like FAO, UNDP, World Bank, IFAD, and European Commission. Private-sector and NGO partners include Syngenta, Bayer, Oxfam, CARE International, Heifer International, and International Rescue Committee. Regional research networks include Arab Network for Dryland Research, West Asia and North Africa Water Centre, Central Asia and Caucasus Network, and collaborations with seed banks such as Svalbard Global Seed Vault and national genebanks like NARC Pakistan.

Impact, outcomes, and regions served

Outputs include improved varieties of wheat and chickpea, conservation of agrobiodiversity in genebanks, water-harvesting technologies adopted in Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Sudan, and policy briefs informing Arab League and African Union agricultural strategies. Impact assessments have been cited by World Bank programmes, FAO reports, and UNDP resilience studies. The centre serves regions across West Asia, North Africa, Central Asia, South Asia fringes, and East Africa, working with national partners including Ministry of Agriculture (Egypt), Ministry of Agriculture (Jordan), Ministry of Agriculture (Morocco), and research institutions like ICARDA Morocco Hub and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research.

Funding and resources

Funding sources include core contributions from national donors such as United Kingdom Department for International Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Commission, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and multilateral funders such as World Bank and Global Environment Facility. Project funding has been provided through competitive grants from CGIAR Research Programmes, bilateral development agencies like USAID, DFAT, GIZ, and philanthropic partners such as Rockefeller Foundation. In-kind resources and technical collaboration involve universities, national research institutes, and private foundations including Ford Foundation and Wellcome Trust.

Category:Agricultural research organizations Category:International research institutes