BriefICARDA Strategy

2017-2026A new strategic approach for delivering innovative

science based solutions for thriving and resilient drylands

Responding to Dryland Challenges�e majority of smallholder farmers in the arid and semi-arid regions of the developing world grow crops and/or raise livestock as a key livelihood strategy. �ey face daunting challenges – from infertile and degraded land, water scarcity and frequent drought, to authorities and institutions struggling to support them, poor market intelligence and integration, and limited opportunities to access innovations and new technologies. �e result is low agricultural productivity and limited livelihood opportunities that perpetuate a cycle of deep poverty and food and nutritional insecurity. �e implications of climate variability and change will add a further dimension to the challenges facing the drylands of the developing world.

To break the cycle of poverty, improve food and nutritional security and halt or reverse the alarming process of resource degradation in dryland communities and to adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is launching a new Strategy, which outlines our research and organizational approach for action to achieve our vision for thriving and resilient dryland communities in the developing world.

�e Strategy builds on forty years of past achievements, lessons learned and successful partnerships and investments at regional and global levels. �e Strategy is aligned with the national development priorities

of the countries we work in, the CGIAR Strategic Results Framework 2016-2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda for 2030. �e Strategy orients ICARDA’s research activities to �nd innovative and demand-driven solutions to guide sustainable development in drylands and to ensure that they have impact.

Our VisionWe envision thriving and resilient livelihoods in dryland communities of the developing world with robust incomes, secure access to food, markets, nutrition and health, and the capacity to manage natural resources in equitable, sustainable, innovative ways.

Our MissionWe seek to provide innovative science-based solutions for improving the livelihoods and resilience of the resource-poor in non-tropical drylands in order to reduce poverty, enhance food, nutrition, and water security, through the sustainable management of natural resources in the face of climate change. We do this through cutting-edge science, strategic partnerships and capacity development for inclusive and equitable growth.

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ICARDA’s research work is part of the global e�ort to tackle poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation in order to meet the SDG Agenda of 2030. We work to deliver results on the ground by designing research-in-development activities that contribute to: reducing rural poverty in drylands, mitigating and adapting to

climate change, increasing food and nutrition security, improving health, generating viable incomes through functional markets, providing opportunities and empowering women and young people to take part in and shape agriculture development, while managing precious natural resources in a sustainable fashion.

Why Drylands Matter?

�e facts �e challenges �e potential y Cover 41% of the world’s

surface y Inhabited by 30% of the

world’s population (2.5 billion people)

y Support 50% of the world’s livestock

y Grow 44% of the world’s food

y Account for the majority of the world’s poor, with around 16% living in chronic poverty

y Most of the world’s poor live in dry areas – with 400 million living on less than US$1 per day

y Drylands lose 23 hectares per minute to drought and deserti�cation – a loss of 20 million tonnes of potential grain production every year.

y Scarce water resources y Highly impacted by

climate change y Harsh environments y Low and erratic

precipitation y Infertile soils y Frequent drought y Loss of cropland y Salinization y Loss of biodiversity y High risk of crop and

animal pests and diseases as the climate changes

y High unemployment and a youth bulge.

y Dominated by countries in con�ict or post-con�ict

y Rapid urbanization and its associated demands and impacts.

y Poor governance of resources

y Loss of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage

y Loss of livelihoods leading to migration

y Hunger, malnutrition and poor diets

y Rich plant biodiversity – the key to adaptation to climate change

y Opportunities to diversify and intensify crop and livestock production systems

y Millions of hectares of degraded land to restore

y Opportunities to re-green drylands

y Opportunities to diversify income streams through alternative pursuits

y Sound prospects for economic development through empowerment of women and youth.

y Addressing the productivity gaps

y Human capacity and agency

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Our Pathway to Impact for �riving and Resilient Drylands

In order to achieve our mission and vision, we have set ourselves three main goals or System Level Outcomes (SLOs), which are also part of the overall CGIAR Strategic Research Framework 2016 - 2030:

1. REDUCE POVERTY: making an impact means research to generate higher, diverse and more sustainable incomes through functional markets that result in better standard of living for men, women, and children in drylands of the developing world

2. IMPROVE FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SECURITY FOR IMPROVED HUMAN HEATH: making an impact means research to increase food and nutritional security, thereby improving human health for poor and vulnerable communities in drylands.

3. IMPROVE NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: making an impact means research to develop equitable and sustainable management practices of land, water resources, energy, and biodiversity in drylands for generations to come.

Our approach is to tackle dryland challenges on a large scale, aiming for clear outcomes and focusing on people, results, and e�ciency. Our research program results framework aligns with the new direction of the CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework 2016–2030, and responds directly to the SDGs 2030 Agenda.

Our goals contribute strongly to the SDGs targeted at no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, climate action and life on land. �ey also contribute toward quality education, good jobs and economic growth, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption, peace and justice and partnerships for the goals.

Our strategy calls for collective action among all partners and stakeholders to engage in generating integrated and resilient farming systems for the drylands that meet market demands, ensure income generation and provide opportunities for women, men and youth to realize their full potential. In doing so, we seek to identify the most innovative and sustainable solutions with bene�ts that are far reaching and enduring.

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Our Strategic Research Priorities (SRP) To reach our goals, we will focus on the following �ve strategic research priorities (SRP) where ICARDA has a distinct comparative advantage:

1. Preserve and protect agricultural biodiversity in drylands in order to meet future climate and market related challenges.

2. Improved and resilient crops to for greater food and nutritional security in the face of climate variability and change and changing markets.

3. Develop integrated drylands farming systems for improved and resilient livelihoods in order to optimize economic, social and environmental co-bene�ts in areas with high concentrations of poor people

4. Support the establishment of functional value chains and viable o�-farm activities for diversi�ed incomes and improved agri-systems livelihoods in drylands.

5. Support sustainable use and management of water and land resources in drylands, focusing on ecosystems and landscapes that o�er signi�cant opportunities to reverse environmental degradation and enhance sustainable intensi�cation.

�ese research priorities are complemented by three crosscutting research activities:

1. Climate change: making an impact will require research to build resilience into poor and vulnerable communities to climate shocks with a focus on adaptation to and mitigation of climate change

2. Gender and youth: making an impact means research to promote gender equity – that is, research to meet the needs and the aspirations of women and young people as key vulnerable groups and provide empowerment and better socio-economic opportunities, including youth employment in agri-food supply chains.

3. Capacity development: making an impact will require a strong and an empowered cadre of young and talented scientists, researchers and institutions. Key to the long-term success of this cross-cutting activity will be skilling future leaders for roles in research management and administration.

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REDUCEDPOVERTY

FOOD &NUTRITION

SECURITY

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Taking Research to Scale – Partnerships for Impact

SRATEGIC RESEARCH PRIORITIES(SRP)

CROSS-CUTTING PRIORITIES (CCP)

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SRP1.Preserve and protect agricultural biodiversity in drylands in order to meet future climate and market related challenges.

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SRP2.Improved and resilient crops for greater food security in face of climate change and market volatilities.

SRP3. Develop integrated drylands farming systems for improved and resilient livelihoods.

SRP4.Support the estab-lishment of func-tional value chains and viable o�-farm activities for diver-si�ed incomes and improved livelihoods in drylands.

SRP5:Support sustainable use and management of water and land resources in drylands.

Climate ChangeAdaptation and

Mitigation

Gender Equity andYouth Big Data and ICT

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Our scienti�c research expertise:• O�ers a comprehensive and systems

understanding of drylands development challenges by examining place-based social, �nancial, technical, and environmental contexts

• Provides robust evidence for shaping development and increased investment in drylands.

• Enables the development and formulation of appropriate technologies, practices, institutions, and policies for solving those challenges

• Application of continuous monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and building of capacities to innovate for more sustainable development impact

• Unique capacities in Integrated Farming Systems Research for the dry regions, with all the elements in our strategic decentralized structure.

• Unique collections of wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, faba bean, grass pea and forage genetic resources and rhizobia that will be critical in adapting to future climates. We have the capacity to look at multiple stressors

• Seed systems and seed system development

• Unique expertise in small ruminant genetics and breeding programs using local indigenous species

• Key contributor to global germplasm conservation and developer of improved germplasm to farmer and market needs

• On-farm research that allows a deeper understanding of the challenges that enables us to o�er adoptable solutions

• Expertise in water harvesting in dry areas and on-farm water management

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) /Remote Sensing (RS) skills and capacity to take advantage of the big data and ICT revolution

• Strong and enduring partnerships with local, regional and international agricultural research institutions and national agricultural systems.

�e value of ICARDA’s research and expertise

ICARDA combines scienti�c evidence and indigenous knowledge from dryland communities to address and increase the visibility of dryland issues that have a considerable impact on emerging global issues that include food and nutrition security, land degradation, and climate change. Our research aims to provide the evidence required to better position dryland issues �rmly on the research and development agenda at national, regional, and global levels.

Our research informs the development interventions required by providing international public goods – tools, methods, practices, policies, and technologies – to enhance the economic and social well-being of rural dryland communities, their resilience in the face of climate variability and change, and strengthen their adaptive capacity to manage natural resources in an equitable and sustainable fashion. Gender and youth issues, as well as options for alternative and diverse livelihoods, direct our research e�orts to understand and support sustainable dryland ecosystems in the long term.

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What is new in ICARDA’s research agenda?

• Create “climate-smart crops” for extreme scenarios of 4°C warmer world through pre-breeding and introgressing adaptive genes from wild relatives of key ICARDA mandate crops.

• Enrich our collections of core crops with novel diversity.

• Select and develop climate change adapted strains of rhizobium and endophytes to reduce agricultures carbon footprint.

• Develop “climate resilient” small ruminants by studying their genomics as a way to understand levels of heat tolerance.

• Develop precision feeding and �ock / herd reproductive management.

• Create functional value chains for durum, barley, pulses and small ruminants – job creation and targeting markets in our key regions.

• Roll out the Options x Context decision-support tool for ensuring sustainable land management at local and global level.

• Focus on “protected agriculture” as a key element in addressing water scarcity by creating fully self-sustaining systems to produce high value crops for export.

• Add value to marginal quality water and create “new” water within the context of peri-urban food production systems.

• Enable farming with alternative pollinators and promote innovative approaches in using native insect species to ensure crop productivity.

• Take research outputs to scale by developing innovative partnerships and business and social enterprise opportunities.

ICARDA organizational strengths

• Strong organizational values of scienti�c excellence, innovation, multi-disciplinarity, collaboration and accountability.

• Close and enduring partnerships with a wide network of national agricultural research systems (NARS) and advanced research institutions (ARIs)

• Capacity development of national agricultural research systems and the training of students, scientists and professionals

• Experience of working in fragile states and post-con�ict reconstruction of the agricultural sector

• Decentralized structure that makes us nimble and e�ective by conducting research where it matters the most

• A new business delivery model that takes ICARDA’s research outputs and outcomes to scale through engagement with the public and private sectors, through new and innovative partnerships and joint ventures in the commercialization of products.

• Key to the success of our research will be innovative and e�ective communications and knowledge sharing.

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Who bene�ts from our research?ICARDA works to bene�t the poorest, hungriest, least healthy, and most marginalized people living in rural drylands of the developing world. In many of these regions, the degraded natural resources on which their livelihoods depend contribute directly to their low levels of wellbeing.

Our research primarily targets the needs of smallholder farmers, agro-pastoralists, pastoralists, and livestock producers. Others who add value along the chain from producer to consumer also stand to bene�t from our work. In particular, we target women farmers and young people in search of dryland agricultural opportunities to improve their livelihoods, as well as other marginalized communities excluded from mainstream development. In our work to improve nutrition and food access, we will particularly target women and children in the poorest households. Other rural, urban and peri-urban communities that are not directly targeted by ICARDA are also likely to bene�t from our research. We believe that our e�orts to address the needs of impoverished and marginalized dryland communities are critical contributions to achieving the United Nations by 2030.

Where we work�e non-tropical drylands are diverse both within and between dry regions; they vary climatically, topographically, environmentally, economically, socially, and culturally. Despite the diversity, non-tropical drylands face common challenges.

To deal with both di�erences and similarities, ICARDA conducts its work through key strategic hubs that include Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, Lebanon and India. It will continue to build a signi�cant footprint across the Middle East and North Africa with activities in Central and West Asia, South Asia, the West African Sahel and Dry Savannas, and East Africa where we have a comparative advantage.

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Creating Value for our StakeholdersIC

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Our Vision: �riving and Resilient Dryland Communities

Improved livelihood outcomes in drylands through reduction Demand-drivenpoverty (SLO1), increased food and nutrition security (SLO2) research is translatedand sustainable natural resources management (SLO3) into practice

Creating Stakeholder Value

Achieving our vision

and creating value to our stakeholders

Ourpicture

of success to produce and deliver

quality science and research

solutions

Strategic research priorities

with focus on innovation

and knowledge

sharing

A new business model to

innovate and to e�ciently

utilize resources

Aligned with CGIAR SRF and SDGS

INNOVATE AND GROWGenerate new science and technologies and promote an organizational culture of innovation and learningSupport niche and

futuristic research on extreme climate scenarios (+4Degree)

Ensure innovations and new ideas are e�ectively shared internally and externally

Explore and develop opportunities to commercialize innovations in order to generate revenue

As innovators in drylands agricultural science, we lead and partner to achieve three key strategic development outcomes (SLO) in drylands: SLO 1. Reduce poverty; SLO 2. Improve

food and nutrition security, SLO3. Ensure sustainable use of natural resourcesOur Core Excellence Innovation Multi-displinarity AccountabilityValues: and Collaboration

Demand-driven Strategic Research Priorities (SRP)Cross-Cutting

Priorities(CCP)

SRP1. Preserve and protect agricultural biodiversity in drylands in order to meet future climate and market related challenges

SRP2. Improved and resilient crops for greater food security in face of climate change and market volatilities

SRP3. Develop integrated drylands farming systems for improved and resilient livelihoods

SRP4: Support the establishment of functional value chains and viable o�-farm activities for diversi�ed incomes and improved agricultural systems livelihoods in drylands

SRP5: Support sustainable use and management of water and land resources in drylands.

CCP1. Climate change

CCP2. Gender Equity and Youth

CCP3. Big Data and ICT

Strengthen & Maintain Financial

HealthRestructure programs, units in line with new ICARDA strategic objectives

Recruit and retain a highly skilled engaged and diverse sta�Enhance communication e�ectiveness, knowledge sharing and accountability Build an integrated technology environment

Optimize current and develop new physical infrastructure

Strengthen result-based performance management through establishment of MEL platform

Achieve operational e�cienciesGenerate

stable and increased revenue

Align resource mobilization with strategic priorities

Expand donor base and implement alternative funding mechanisms

Facilitate Skills growth and Leadership development

Recognize and reward leaders and scienti�c excellence

Establish a �t-for-purpose organizational structure and

infrastructureEnable our People

Leading think-tank in dryland agricultural science fostering scienti�c rigor and research excellence

Provider of a unique suite of science-based tools, products and �agships publications

Shaper of critical debates and policies, nationally and globally, on science-based agricultural development in drylands

Improved global positioning through refreshed ICARDA brand, higher visibility and increased communication of research results

1. ICARDA becomes recognized as world-class leader and source of agricultural research and science-based solutions for drylands

Facilitate rapid uptake of new research knowledge and cutting-edge technologies and innovations

Build strategic partnerships and pursue opportunities for multi-disciplinary collaboration both internally and externally

Engage in national, regional and global fora and opportunities to enhance outreach and impact of research, and build skills and capacities

Identify, promote and advocate for agricultural science-based solutions to address key development challenges in vulnerable dryland communities

2. ICARDA research outputs are delivered strategically to key stakeholders invested in transforming agriculture and development in drylands

ICARDA Strategy Development Process

As part of its strategy development process, ICARDA is implementing a broad consultation process that provided stakeholders and partners both inside and outside the CGIAR the opportunity to provide input. �ese consultations promote e�ective, targeted investment and built partnerships, capacities and mutual accountabilities at all levels of the agricultural system so as to ensure that ICARDA’s agricultural research meets the critical demands and needs of dryland communities. �e consultation process help to re�ne our research priorities with national, regional and global agricultural research priorities, as identi�ed by di�erent stakeholder groups and representatives in an inclusive way to make the new ICARDA strategy 2017-2026 as relevant and demand-driven as possible.

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About ICARDA

Established in 1977, the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a non-pro�t, CGIAR research centre focusing on delivering innovative solutions for sustainable agricultural development in dryland countries in the developing world. It is headquartered in city, country, with regional o�ces across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, civil society and the private sector to develop scalable agricultural solutions that have a real impact on poverty reduction, food security and ecosystem health.

For more information, please visit www.icarda.org

Contact us

Dalia Building 2nd Floor, Bashir El Kassar Street, Verdun, Beirut, Lebanon 1108-2010O�ce Tel.: +961 1 813303O�ce Fax: +961 1 804071/01-843473

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