February 08, 2012.

PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE

While we applaud the continuous work and dedication of humanitarian relief agencies to intervene in times of hunger crises, there is a more, pivotal question to be asked: “What can we do to prevent hunger? What can we do to increase food security in vulnerable areas?”

And that is where our work comes in. The CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) develop collaborative approaches to address the needs of the poor. They address a wide range of issues: They aim to increase yields and profits for crops, fish and livestock. They improve sustainability, climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Our research improves the productivity, profitability, sustainability and resilience of farming systems. We work to improve nutrition and health. We ensure agricultural and natural systems remain in balance, increasing their resilience to degradation. We also work with governments and other organizations to improve policies and markets.

The Horn of Africa drought relief effort had a price tag of over US$1.2 billion, a one-time remedy to help 3.7 million people through one drought crisis.

Between 1997 and 2007, Ethiopia lost an average of US$1.1 billion to drought. Annually.

The 2012 cost for our research programs to improve the yields of major food crops is $300 million.

Carlos Perez del Castillo, CGIAR

February 02, 2012.

I am really pleased to announce that Dr Simon Cook has started this week in the leadership role for CRP5 Water, Land and Ecosystems: improved natural resources management for food security and livelihoods.

Simon Cook specializes in the analysis of the food and water systems that underpin agricultural development. He coordinated the Basin Focal Projects for the CGIAR Challenge Program of Water and Food. Prior to this he was theme leader for the CPWF and a program leader at CIAT. Before this, he was at CSIRO in Australia, where he led research into precision agriculture.

Simon believes strongly in the role of science to support sustainable development and contests the view of agriculture as a ‘sunset activity’, preferring to consider it a ‘sleeping giant’. He believes that agriculture has the potential to solve global-scale demands for food, energy and income and that research for development has a key role to achieve it.

Simon trained at universities in the UK, where he obtained degrees in geography, soil science and agronomy.

I am sure that all of you will want to join me in welcoming Simon into this critical role in the CGIAR.  Simon will be based in Colombo at IWMI HQ.

Kind Regards.
Colin Chartres
Director General

December 12, 2011.

Dr. Simon Cook has been appointed Director of the CGIAR’s major new research program to address the urgent challenges of water management, global food security and environmental sustainability. Dr. Cook, a specialist in water, agriculture and rural development, was formerly coordinator of the Basin Focal Projects of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF), a USD 10 million initiative to identify the condition of food, agricultural water and poverty in ten major river basins in the tropics.

A native of the UK, now with dual British and Australian citizenship, Dr. Cook gained his PhD in soil science and agronomy at the University of Cambridge, UK. Highlights of his 25-year research career include leading the precision agriculture research group at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), specializing in GIS, remote sensing, soil chemistry and plant physiology. He subsequently joined the geographical information systems (GIS) and land use program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia, heading a team of 40 scientists, technicians and support staff in the largest GIS lab in the CGIAR.

The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems is a multi-million dollar global partnership that will address the major challenges of feeding the world’s growing population whilst maintaining the integrity of natural systems. It will focus on eight river basins in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

November 30, 2011.

The CGIAR fund council has given a category 1 approval to the Water Land and Ecosystems research program (CRP5). Commenting on the revised proposal, the CGIAR's Independent Science and Partnership Council  said that it, "recognized  the fundamental importance  and potential  of this  CRP  to fill a critical gap in the CGIAR research for development portfolio."

It went on to remark that, "It is particularly satisfying to learn that the process of revising the document has greatly enhanced cooperation between the major partners in the CGIAR such that there is a genuine sense of common intent and focus."