CGIAR

The ( Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research ), founded in 1971, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR ) is a strategic partnership of 64 members, which works with a variety of government organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector around the world. The members of the CGIAR are both 21 developing and 26 industrialized countries, four co-sponsors, as well as thirteen international organizations. Today, more than 8000 scientists and staff are active in over 100 countries for the CGIAR. The initial goal of the CGIAR was " combating food shortages in the tropical and subtropical countries through research and investment in new, highly productive crop varieties and improved livestock ".

Mission and priorities

The CGIAR mission is to achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through scientific research and activities in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the environment.

The CGIAR provides scientific evidence to promote sustainable agricultural growth that benefits particularly poorer groups through improved food security, improved diets and better health, higher incomes and improved management of natural resources.

The five priorities of the CGIAR are therefore:

  • Hunger and malnutrition through increased productivity better food ( by genetic optimization) to reduce
  • Obtained Agricultural biodiversity ( in situ and ex situ)
  • Promote opportunities for economic development through agricultural diversification and high quality raw materials and products
  • Ensure the sustainable use and conservation of water, land and forest resources
  • Improve policy guidelines and facilitate institutional innovation

Research centers

The CGIAR supports 15 international research institutions ( " Future Harvest Centres "). These research institutions are autonomous, independent institutions with their own statutes.

The 15 Future Harvest Centres with their research areas and their respective headquarters are:

Research

According to their self- understanding, the CGIAR operates agricultural research for the people and for the planet. By his own admission makes the CGIAR research the achievements of modern science, the poor farmers around the world accessible.

The research of the CGIAR is aimed at improving each critical component in the agricultural sector. Included are agroforestry, biodiversity, food, fodder and tree fruits, eco-friendly farming techniques, fisheries, forestry, animal husbandry, nutritional guidelines and advice for agricultural research.

Within the research are five fields of particular interest:

  • Sustainable production (seeds, livestock, fisheries, forestry and natural resources)
  • Strengths of national capacities ( through joint research, policy advice, training and knowledge dissemination )
  • Improvement of the germinal tissue (priority crops, livestock, trees and fish)
  • Collecting seed tissue ( world largest seed collection in eleven genetic databases that are publicly available )
  • Policies (promotion of research on policy content, which have a major impact on agriculture, health, the spread of new technologies and the use of natural resources and their conservation )

The research of the CGIAR is dynamic and flexible according to own data and can respond quickly to emerging challenges in the field of development.

Importance of agronomic research

Rising food prices, concerns about global warming, the energy crisis and newly awakened interest in the field of biofuels have led in recent times to new challenges and opportunities in agriculture and for the use of natural resources. These global trends have high risks and consequences result, especially for the people who live in rural areas and their ( over-) life is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture.

Climate change will worsen the growing conditions for the crops and in addition strain the capacity of the arable land. Meanwhile, global warming threatens to endanger the productivity growth, which is so important in order to reduce poverty. Scientists ( Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC) predict that rising temperatures and changing patterns of rainfall will have a decline in agricultural production by up to 50% in many African countries and up to 30 % in Central and South Asia result.

Therefore, an increased involvement in agricultural science is essential to the national and international level in order to meet the new and diverse challenges. If the Millennium Development Goals and the plan to halve the number of hungry people in the world by 2015, to be achieved, then strong programs on relevant and effective research must be on the international development agenda at the top.

The science which was developed by the research centers and their partners, has achieved significant successes in the form of less hungry and an improved income for small farmers in the developing world.

The Federal Republic of Germany and the CGIAR

Germany is since 1971 a member of the CGIAR and has contributed to its creation. The official support of the CGIAR by the Federal Republic is ensured by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development ( BMZ). The services of the FRG in 2008 to the CGIAR totaled about 17.5 million euros. Since 2007, Germany is supporting the establishment of a research focus on the adaptation of African agriculture to climate change.

Of the funds, the BMZ will award a share of 25 % as a project unbound contribution to the budget of the research centers. The other part is on the Advisory Group Agricultural Research for Development (BEAF ) GIZ ( German Society for International Cooperation ) assigned to design the project- funding.

By his own admission BEAF organized " the selection of the research to be funded projects of the centers in accordance with development and scientific criteria. Supports the management of research projects and the deployment of German specialists at the International Agricultural Research Centres. Moreover, she advises BMZ in its role as one of the largest the 64 donors in the CGIAR. the BEAF is the discharge of their duties in the control bodies active nationally and internationally in all major committees. Extensive consultation will also be offered in public relations research. the professional combination of research and development cooperation and the evaluation of research projects and their impact monitoring are the most important know- how of the BEAF ".

Pictures of CGIAR

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