Fruits of new investments in CGIAR could include big boost in rice production for Asia, sustainable irrigation for millions of parched farms in Africa, and dramatic drop in forest destruction tied to agriculture.
Washington, D.C. and Montpellier, France — CGIAR, the world’s largest agriculture research partnership, today announced its funding has doubled from $500 million in 2008 to $1 billion in 2013. Officials say harvesting the fruits of this historic commitment could, among other benefits, lift 150 million people in Asia out of poverty by boosting rice production, provide 12 million African households with sustainable irrigation, save 1.7 million hectares of forest from destruction, and give 50 million poor people access to highly nutritious food crops.