Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
The CGIAR is a global partnership of about 60 industrialised and developing
countries, foundations, international and regional organisations. It oversees
the work of 15 international research centres.
Its mission is to contribute to food security and poverty eradication in
developing countries through:
- research;
- partnerships;
- capacity building and policy support, and
- promoting sustainable agricultural development based on the
environmentally sound management of natural resources.
The CGIAR is co-sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. Funding for the CGIAR centres
is provided by voluntary contributions from its members, currently totalling
about US $430 million a year.
The UK is a founder member of the CGIAR and is actively engaged in its
governance, organisation and management. This role includes:
- contributing to the process of reform in which the CGIAR is engaged to
ensure its continuing relevance and contribution to development;
- supporting a tight focus on poverty reduction and food security giving
priority to the needs of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa;
- contributing to a better understanding of the livelihoods of the poor,
including different types of sub-group (gender, age, ethnicity);
- supporting the use of regional processes for more effective programme
planning and priority setting;
- supporting efforts to build capacity in national agricultural research
systems and encouraging partnerships with the private sector and civil
society.
The CGIAR has launched four Challenge Programmes (time-bound, high impact
research targeting complex issues of overwhelming significance) aimed at better
aligning its research with the Millennium Development Goals and attracting
additional partners. The four are:
- water and food;
- unlocking genetic diversity in crops for the resource-poor, and
- biofortified crops for improved human nutrition (Harvest Plus) and
Sub-Saharan Africa.
In December 2003 the Secretary of State announced an additional commitment of
£30million to the CGIAR over the next three years, effectively doubling annual
disbursements from £10m to £20m. We have used some of these funds to increase
support for the CGIAR centres.
From 2004 this funding is being provided as unrestricted contributions to the
core budgets of the centres. We have also agreed to fund the four Challenge
Programmes.
Central Research Department
17 August 2005
Further details:
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