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International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

Coordinates: 36°00′59″N 36°56′34″E / 36.016268°N 36.942801°E / 36.016268; 36.942801
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International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Founded1977; 47 years ago (1977)
TypeNon-profit NGO
Focusfood security
HeadquartersBeirut, Lebanon
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Michel Afram, Chairperson; Aly Abousabaa, Director General
AffiliationsCGIAR
WebsiteICARDA website

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), a member of CGIAR, supported by the CGIAR Fund, is a non-profit agricultural research institute that aims to improve the livelihoods of the resource-poor across the world's dry areas.

History

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ICARDA's origins begin in April 1972 when the Technical Advisory Committee of GCIAR (then known as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) expressed interest in agricultural research in the Near East and North Africa. TAC identified the semi-arid winter rainfall zone of the region as an important ecological area with specific crops and significant agricultural challenges which were not adequately addressed by any of the international agricultural research centers at the time. TAC selected Professor Dunstan Skilbeck to head a study during March and April of 1973. The Skilbeck Mission recommended the establishment of a new agricultural research center to deal with the agricultural issues of the region. TAC recommended the establishment of an international center in Lebanon.[1]

The eruption of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 made prevented the establishment of a center in Lebanon.[2] The President of Syria Hafez al-Assad who had hoped to secure his own country's agriculture by working with this new institution made an attractive offer of free land for the center to the south of Aleppo. In 1977, ICARDA's headquarters were established in Tel Hadya, Syria.[2]

Today ICARDA's research activities include the development of new crop varieties, water harvesting, conservation agriculture, the diversification of production systems, integrated crop/rangeland/livestock production systems, and the empowerment of rural women.

ICARDA was forced to re-locate again in 2012 due to the Syrian civil war.[3] The center established headquarters in Beirut after leaving Aleppo in 2012.[2][4][5] Support is provided by research centers and offices in Jordan, Morocco, Ethiopia, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, Afghanistan, India, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Sudan, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

A seed bank at the ICARDA station in Terbol, Lebanon holds around 40,000 seed samples — compared to 150,000 in Syria

Decentralization

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ICARDA's decentralization builds on the Center's existing organization. Staff have been relocated to Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Ethiopia, Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey, and the Center has established temporary headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon.

Integrated Research Platforms

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As part of its decentralization, ICARDA has established integrated research platforms that address research priorities in each region, but serve dry areas globally through collaboration and partnerships with national programs, advanced research institutions, and other partners in the development and dissemination of international public goods.

The Center has developed four major Platforms, including the headquarters:

Headquarters (West Asia): ICARDA has established temporary headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, and expanded facilities and activities in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.

North Africa, with a Platform in Morocco: Building on the existing partnership with INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique), and focused on the intensification and diversification of rainfed cereal-based production systems. Morocco also hosts a CRP Dryland Systems Action Site.

Sub-Saharan Africa, with a Platform in Ethiopia: Building on the partnership with ILRI in the CRP on Livestock and Fish and on-going collaboration with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR).

South Asia, with a Platform in India: Building on the existing partnership with ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), and focused especially on food legumes systems.

Harvesting wheat at seed regeneration plots at American University of Beirut's AREC station near ICARDA's Terbol station in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley

Thematic research locations

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Under ICARDA's decentralization strategy, the Center is operating four additional research locations with specific themes:

Egypt, for high-input agriculture: a platform with a targeted focus on high-input irrigated agricultural systems, building on collaborative research on irrigated wheat improvement and irrigated systems management.

Turkey, Central Asia and Iran, for Winter Wheat and Winter Barley: a distinct environment with extensive high altitude and highland agro-ecologies with severe winters particularly suitable for breeding winter wheat and winter barley.

Turkey/ICARDA Cereal Rusts Research Center in Izmir: Providing expertise on wheat rusts through the Regional Cereal Rust Research Center within the Aegean Agricultural Research Institute, part of Turkey's Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock. Founded in 2017.[6]

Sudan Heat Tolerance Research Location: This research location breeds heat-tolerant wheat and food legume varieties, in collaboration with Sudan's Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC)

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Daniels, W. D. (1976). "History and development of the International Centre for Agricultural Research on Dry Areas (ICARDA) up to January, 1976". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Schwartzstein, Peter (5 September 2016). "Inside the Syrian Dust Bowl". Foreign Policy. The FP Group. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  3. ^ Yahia, Mohammed (2012). "Conflict in Syria forces international research centre to move staff". Nature Middle East. doi:10.1038/nmiddleeast.2012.133. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  4. ^ Sengupta, Somini (13 October 2017). "How a Seed Bank, Almost Lost in Syria's War, Could Help Feed a Warming Planet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Seeds of Change Offer Hope in Lebanon". VOA. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Tackling the threat of rust disease". ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas). 26 July 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  7. ^ Harvey, Fiona (19 March 2015). "Syrian seedbank wins award for continuing work despite civil war". the Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  8. ^ "ICARDA researchers receive Olam Prize for innovation in food security » CGIAR Research Program on WHEAT". wheat.org. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  9. ^ "BBC 100 Women 2020: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
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36°00′59″N 36°56′34″E / 36.016268°N 36.942801°E / 36.016268; 36.942801

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