Impacts of 50 years of CIAT
research on Tropical Agriculture
Ricardo Labarta, on behalf of CIAT IA team
Palmira, November 6th, 2017

Background information
• CIAT has worked with hundreds of partners to develop/disseminate
technologies & knowledge in tropical agriculture for 50 years
• This collaborative work resulted in a variety of research outputs,
outcomes and impacts, although not fully documented.
• CIAT IA team has put together the best evidence of CIAT
development outcomes and impacts of 50 years of its research
 By reviewing more than 300 publications describing evidence of CIAT
outcomes and impacts
 By using IA team most recent studies using data from over 17,000 farm
households in tropical regions

What have been the impacts of CIAT investments?
Beans, 31.8%
Cassava,
18.0%
Rice, 17.2%
Forages,
19.4%
Others,
13.5%
1
668.8
378.4
361.0
407.7
284.1
Beans Cassava Rice Forages Others
Amounts in millions of US$

The impacts of traditional
CIAT research:
Beans-Rice-Cassava-Forages

Impacts of CIAT research starts with technology adoption
-
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
7,000,000
8,000,000
9,000,000
10,000,000
1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012
hectares
Years
Adoption of Beans in Latin America and the Caribbean
CIAT improved varieties LAC CIAT landraces varieties LAC
Non-CIAT related LAC Missing
-
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
7,000,000
8,000,000
1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012
hectares
Years
Adoption of Beans in Sub Saharan Africa
CIAT improved varieties SSA CIAT landraces varieties SSA
Non-CIAT related SSA Missing

Impacts of CIAT research starts with technology adoption
-
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012
hectares
Years
Adoption of cassava in Latin America and the Caribbean
CIAT related varieties LAC Non-CIAT related LAC Missing
-
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
3,500,000
4,000,000
4,500,000
1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012
hectares
Years
Adoption of cassava in South-east Asia
CIAT related varieties A&P Non-CIAT related A&P Missing

Impacts of CIAT research starts with technology adoption
-
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
7,000,000
8,000,000
9,000,000
1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012
hectares
Years
Adoption of Rice improved varieties in Latin America
and the Caribbean
CIAT related varieties LAC Non-CIAT related LAC Missing
-
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
14,000,000
16,000,000
18,000,000
1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012
hectares
Years
Adoption of Tropical forages in selected Latin American
Countries
CIAT selected landraces LAC CIAT improved varieties LAC
Non-CIAT related LAC

The aggregate impacts of CIAT commodity research
Beans Cassava Forages Rice
CIAT investments US$ 668.8 million US$ 378.4 million US$ 407.7 million US$ 361 million
R&D investments US$ 4.7 billion US$ 3.7 billion US$ 440.7 million US$ 3.15 billion
Research investments
Research impacts
Beans Cassava Forages Rice
B/C 3.22 2.28 1.86 3.06
TIR 22.4% 21.2% 14.0% 13.2%
Economic benefits US$ 17.4 billion US$ 9.2 billion US$ 1.6 billion US$ 10.8 billion

The aggregate impacts of CIAT per region and crop
3.06
1.86
2.28
1.09
5.27
3.22
4.30
1.53
-
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
Global Latin America and the
Caribbean
Sout-East Asia Sub-Saharan Africa
Benefit Cost Ratio
Rice Forages Cassava Beans

Beyond productivity impacts of commodity research
• CIAT IA team has started to measure broader impacts related to CIAT Crop
Research, starting with beans in SSA
 Use of improved CIAT bean varieties generated modest impacts on poverty reduction
in Rwanda & Uganda, but in 2011 it implied lifting 90,000 people out of poverty.
 The adoption of CIAT varieties had a stronger effect on reducing food insecurity in
Rwanda & Uganda. In 2011 this adoption implied 182,400 people less food insecure
 The variety adoption process also affected farm labor allocation by shifting family
women labor with hired labor. Women had more leisure and time for education.
• We are currently analyzing broader impacts in major ongoing studies
 Poverty and food security impacts of rice research in Ecuador and Bolivia
 Poverty and labor allocation impacts in cassava research in Vietnam and Thailand
 Poverty and environmental impacts of forages research in Colombia and Nicaragua

The impacts of more recent
CIAT research investments
Soils-Linking farmers to markets-
Participatory research-Gender

Soils and Landscapes
• Between 1993 and 2003 CIAT led the dissemination of crop
management and soil conservation practices in Southeast Asia
 Using participatory approach, this initiative resulted in a significant use of
hedgerows, counter ridges, farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizer in
between 53 and 91% of farmers in spread target areas
 This initiative contribute to mitigate environmental impacts of the expansion
of cassava farming and increased cassava yields and income
• In early 2000s CIAT developed an innovative technology to build up
arable layers on infertile acid soils of Colombia (Llanos)
• This practice increased soy and maize yield between 38 and 59%
• This initiative made it possible to grow for the first time maize (2000 ha)

Linking farmers to markets
• CIAT & CRS implemented the LINK methodology to support new
business models for coffee growers in the Colombia/Ecuador border
 Thousands of farm households were able to earn substantial price premiums
and increase production area and yields
 This large initiative resulted in an increase of coffee growers annual income of
US$ 2,220
• CIAT & CRS implemented LFM and Forages innovations to increase
Nicaraguan livestock producers access to productive assets, services
and markets
• More than 4,000 farm households benefited from the initiative
• Project beneficiaries increased milk productivity by 0.9 lts/cow/day (28%)

Participatory Research and Gender
• CIAT has developed in many LAC countries Local Agricultural Research
Committees (CIAL) as a key component of technology development
 In Honduras by 2006, 98 CIALs were still active and were recognized as the
main contributor to the agricultural technology generation in the country
 By 2016 Honduras CIALs, with 42% women membership, had generated and
promoted the release of 23 new bean varieties using advance CIAT lines
• CIAT PR initiative facilitated the involvement of Cabuyal watershed
community (Colombia) in the formulation of a national policy to
maintain forested buffer zones around water springs and courses
• This initiative resulted in 150,000 trees planted on 35 hectares of watershed

Participatory Research and Gender
• CIAT has developed in many LAC countries Local Agricultural Research
Committees (CIAL) as a key component of technology development
 In Honduras by 2006, 98 CIALs were still active and were recognized as the
main contributor to the agricultural technology generation in the country
 By 2016 Honduras CIALs, with 42% women membership, had generated and
promoted the release of 23 new bean varieties using advance CIAT lines
• CIAT PR initiative facilitated the involvement of Cabuyal watershed
community (Colombia) in the formulation of a national policy to
maintain forested buffer zones around water springs and courses
• This initiative resulted in 150,000 trees planted on 35 hectares of watershed

Thanks to the IA team for fantastic Job!!!