Diversity to Heal the Earth and Feed its People

CIMMYT Annual Report 2001-2002

A Message from the Director General

In my new role as CIMMYT’s Director General, I am pleased to present this report on our latest research. We have called our report Diversity to Heal the Earth and Feed its People to emphasize the immense value of diversity in sustaining people and the environment. The pages that follow describe the many forms of diversity that are essential to our work: genetic diversity in plants, agricultural system diversity, a varied range of research partnerships, a global research program addressing the needs of more than 100 nations, and a multinational, multicultural team of researchers based throughout the developing world.

As plant breeders, we have an abiding respect for genetic diversity, because it is the medium with which we work. Many of the stories in this report emphasize why is it vital to use new sources of diversity, such as sources of resistance to diseases and pests, tolerance to drought, and other characteristics that enable plants to withstand difficult agricultural conditions. The stories also highlight the many ways in which we are seeking diversity: by looking within the genomes of plant species, searching among the myriad collections of seed in our genebank, evaluating many thousands of experimental strains of maize and wheat, and working with farmers to preserve traditional maize and wheat varieties.

As specialists in the management of agricultural systems and natural resources, we know that agriculture cannot be sustained without diversity in cropping systems. Our research on conservation agriculture, climate change, and soil fertility reflects a holistic approach that extends beyond particular maize and wheat cropping practices to address the resource constraints and conservation needs of entire agricultural systems.

As social scientists, our effort to set research priorities is based on an analysis of the myriad factors that influence the potential for agricultural research to improve livelihoods, from the global to the local level. Nations and individuals alike pursue different paths to development, as shown in this report. These very different perspectives must be understood if CIMMYT is to make enlightened choices about its own contribution to development.

Finally, given the magnitude of the problems facing agriculture in developing countries, it is no surprise that research to solve those problems must rely on a broad spectrum of partners. To be effective rather than a mere formality, a research coalition must be able to benefit from the diverse perspectives of its partners.

It must foster the kind of participation that yields new opportunities to innovate and creates an intense human commitment to taking new paths toward a shared goal. This report provides examples of many such alliances and shows how they are having an impact in rural communities.

Another point that is implicit throughout this report is that diversity of any kind —whether we are speaking of genetic diversity or the diversity of our research community —is most useful in the service of a unifying vision. As we go to press with this report, we are initiating the development of a new vision and strategy for our research center. Today, when the world is sharply divided over how to sustain its people and its natural resources, it is more important than ever for CIMMYT to develop a clear vision of its mission over the next 10 to 20 years and to articulate a flexible, proactive strategy for making that vision a reality. Our new strategy, developed through extensive consultation within and outside our research center, will lay the foundation for the institutional changes that will enable us to serve the poor constructively and responsibly in the years to come. Let me describe some of the challenges that will have a decisive effect on CIMMYT’s future role in development.

• The primary challenge is that food security will remain a serious concern in many parts of the world for the foreseeable future. Poverty, hunger, and malnutrition continue to affect more than one billion people. For many of these people, especially in Africa, poverty and hunger have worsened despite global overproduction of staple grains. As long as a major part of humankind cannot satisfy the most basic food needs, there can be no social peace.

• Maize and wheat will remain extremely important sources of food and income for poor people, and the productivity of maize and wheat cropping systems must be sustained.

• The increasing interdependence of nations has important economic, technological, and cultural implications that must be reflected in CIMMYT ’s strategies and activities.

• New research tools —particularly in genetics and bioinformatics —are revolutionizing approaches to agricultural research and development.

• It is widely acknowledged that farmers are the arbiters of what will and will not work in their agricultural systems, and research must be planned and conducted with their participation.

• The implementation of new international agreements regarding the ownership and control of global plant genetic resources, and the strengthening of intellectual property rights (IPRs) relating to the products of public and private plant breeding programs, are already altering the ways in which the public sector conducts agricultural research.

• Climate change is affecting farming environments severely, especially in developing countries. In the absence of agricultural alternatives, rural poverty and rural-urban migration will only intensify.

• A final consideration is that the mechanisms for funding public international research are changing. The extent to which governments are willing to support development assistance over the coming years, the issues that governments will wish to champion, and the willingness of non-traditional donors to turn greater attention to issues of global importance are all open questions. In the very near future, the CGIAR’s recently instituted Challenge Programs will have significant implications for the way that all CGIAR Centers, including CIMMYT, fund and conduct research.

This list could be longer and more detailed, but I merely wish to give an indication of the kinds of issues that we must examine to ensure that our research remains relevant well into the future.

Perhaps the most fundamental assumption we need to make in planning for the future is that volatility and change are the only certainties that await us. How we choose to respond to the great changes and great needs in developing countries will affect the lives of millions of people, and we take our responsibility to future generations extremely seriously. Although we know that CIMMYT cannot be all things to all people and to the environment, we know that our research can be one very important thing: sustenance for people, for their communities and economies, and for the natural resources that support us all.

Dr. Masa Iwanaga
Director General