Stewardship Report
Achieving Food Security and Rural Prosperity across the Tropics
CIAT’s Partnership with Australia:
Opportunity, food security, and economic
empowerment for the world’s poor
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CIAT’s Global Vision
Towards empowerment in the tropics
Major research
breakthroughs in
boosting food
security have
been achieved as
a result of the
Center’s focus
on rice in Latin
America and the
Caribbean, and
globally on
cassava,
common bean,
and tropical
forages for
livestock.
Scientific breakthroughs at CIAT are
Alongside research helping preserve biodiversity and boost
food and nutrition security
on these major
crops, CIAT also works in two key areas that cut
across all tropical crops and environments –
pioneering soils research and Decision and Policy
Analysis (DAPA), which influences the development
of pro-poor policies. As lead center for the CGIAR
Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture
and Food Security program
(CCAFS), we share Australia’s aims
to cut global temperature change to
2 degrees Celsius or below, reduce
emissions in developing countries,
and implement strong mitigation
approaches.
Each day about 20,000 people will die from
malnutrition and starvation, the majority in the
developing world and most of them children. That is
an unacceptably high number of preventable
deaths. The pressure to strengthen the fight against
poverty and hunger, especially in tropical areas, is
greater than ever before. Global commodity price
rises and volatility, dwindling natural resources,
environmental degradation, climate change, and
emerging pests and diseases are just a few of the
threats compounded by poverty and social-political
concerns.
With a strong understanding of the complex issues
facing the global tropics, CIAT remains as confident
about tackling these challenges as it did when the
center was established in 1967. At the core of our
mandate is agricultural eco-efficiency, an approach
that promotes competitive and profitable food
production and economic empowerment for the
world’s poorest people, while reducing our
environmental footprint and preserving the natural
resource base.
Our eco-efficiency approach is promoting sustainable food production and
economic empowerment for smallholder farmers globally
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With a proven track record of high
integrity, transparency, and impact,
we deliver results. But we do not
achieve impact alone – we are
proud of our special relationship
with Australia, and strong and
growing partnerships with local
NGOs and research organizations,
governments, the private sector,
and colleagues in CGIAR centers
around the world.

Partnership with Australia
Agricultural research success
We share the view of Australia’s government that the best way to help people out of poverty is by
giving them an opportunity to earn a decent living. Three quarters of the world’s poor live in
rural areas and rely on agriculture to survive. By working with poor farmers, our ultimate aim is
to empower them with the skills and technology to lift their standards of living and provide a
food-secure future for themselves and their families – particularly in the face of challenges such
as increasing population and climate change.
To do this, CIAT understands that small-scale agriculture in tropical areas must not only be
intensified but transformed into robust, resilient, efficient, and sustainable systems. These
systems must meet growing global demand for food while offering a profitable pathway out of
poverty, at the same time creating opportunities for wider sustainable economic growth.
Australia has provided instrumental funds to CIAT for more than 25 years. With an international
reputation as a leader in agricultural research, and as one of the fastest-growing contributors to
CGIAR, Australia has partnered with CIAT to deliver on its mandate, particularly in Southeast
Asia, where research has made significant impact in reducing food insecurity and fostering
inclusive and sustainable economic development.
We thank the Australian government for investing in agricultural development. Through the
current revision of our new strategic framework (2014-2020), we are confident that our joint
aspirations can continue to lead to a more stable world, where women and men in rural and
urban areas can make informed decisions about their health and futures without being
hampered by poverty or malnutrition.
Ahead of the game
sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Researchers toil around the clock on crop
improvement and on pioneering approaches for soil
fertility management, soil health, sustainable land
management, and including spatial and policy
analyses focused on linking farmers to markets,
ecosystem services, gender analysis, and impact
assessment.
From scientific breakthroughs to value chain
research and market analysis, CIAT’s scientists and
partners combine global expertise, the latest
technology, and enterprising ideas to rapidly
respond to today’s challenges. CIAT prides itself on
creating win-win solutions to poverty, which can be
scaled up to deliver major economic impact.
A number of high, long-term impact strategic
initiatives are currently being developed. They
include LivestockPlus, an approach that aims to
double meat and milk production on less land,
restore degraded soils, sequester huge amounts of
carbon, and reduce harmful nitrous oxide and
methane emissions.
The center continues to develop and build upon
formidable capacity in research to stay one step
ahead of new threats to global food security. With
its headquarters near Cali, Colombia, CIAT has
regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Hanoi,
Vietnam, with a network of scientists working
throughout Latin America and the Caribbean,
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Impact of Australian Investments
Better beef, boosted incomes
forages, while boosting cattle growth through better
feed, transforming them into a high value commodity.
Fast-growing, high-quality, largely disease- and
pest-resistant forages ensured that steers can double
in value from US$200 to $400 over a mere 120-day
period.
In Cambodia, cattle are rarely raised by smallholder
farmers for their market value alone. Almost all of
the 3.2 million cattle in the country provide essential
draught power for land preparation or transport and
manure for maintaining soil fertility. Crucially, they
are valued as a “cash account” that can be
liquidated easily when needed. Yet with annual
increases in beef consumption for the whole of
Southeast Asia projected at a sustained 3.4% until
2020, rising demand for meat linked to more
affluent populations presents a niche opportunity for
smallholder farmers to cash in on their cows.
With these forages grown near the house, the time
spent gathering feed is cut by an average of two
hours daily, and given that children usually collect
forages, more children are getting to school on time,
with teachers reporting better progress in school.
Enterprising farmers have embraced the
opportunities by selling forages and cuttings,
resulting in extra income of around $300 a year.
These systems also provide security for people living
in flood-prone lowland areas, allowing them to source
feed from upland areas during floods. The original
project target of reaching 500 households has been
exceeded in one province alone – with forages now
grown in every province in Cambodia.
But keeping cattle is a time consuming and risky
business. It is perceived as a backup system rather
than a major income generator. Challenging this
perception, CIAT researchers and partners
developed an improved forage management system
that drastically cuts time spent on gathering
Smallholder farmers in Cambodia are transforming their livelihoods and livestock production with improved forage systems
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Getting pigs to market
Among upland ethnic communities in
northern Laos, pig sales provide roughly
half of family income, and almost every
household keeps pigs. Women are
responsible for collecting and preparing
pig feed, but due to natural scarcity at
certain periods of the year and with
traditional feeds becoming rare, up to four
hours a day can be wasted searching for
feed and firewood to cook it. Despite this significant
time investment, the resulting low-protein and
mineral-deficient diet usually translates into poor pig
growth rates, with farmers unable to make good
returns on their animals.
Pig production is increasing incomes for farmers in Laos
Cavy keeping in DRC: A life-saving
strategy
Far from being a part-time hobby, raising small
stock such as the cavy, an Andean rodent, forms a
survival strategy in conflict areas. These small
animals are owned by more people in troubled
Sud-Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), than any other livestock, so research
focusing on these animals impacts the majority of
poor farmers. At lower risk of disease or theft
compared to goats or chicken, cavies are also an
important first step to keeping larger animals. As
trading and breeding activities are controlled by
women and teenage boys, there is potential to
empower their keepers as well. Although cavies can
contribute to food security and are a good source of
protein, most families also sell them, especially
when in need of income to pay school fees or
uniforms.
Investigating ways to ramp up pig production and
income for poor smallholder farmers, CIAT and
partners promoted supplementing traditional pig
diets with the legume Stylo (Stylosanthes
guianensis) variety CIAT 184, a high-yielding feed
crop that is easy to grow and harvest, competes
with weeds, and is, of course, popular with pigs. As
a result, weight gain of pigs doubled from 100 to
200 grams a day. The supplement also boosted
survival of young pigs from as little as 30% to
roughly 80%, with pigs reaching saleable weight two
months earlier than un-supplemented pigs.
As better price tags at market fetched higher
incomes, farmers began to realize the true value of
their pigs for the first time, taking a bigger interest
in pig nutrition and intensifying their production for
sale. Challenges remain, such as emerging diseases
associated with intensified production systems.
Further research is currently being undertaken to
tackle these issues, but the economic and social
benefits are already clear. Planting Stylo on-farm
has saved women an average of two hours daily
searching for green feeds, while doubling growth
rates, so leading to a four-fold increase in labor
productivity. In just four years, more than 1,200
households mixed Stylo in their pigs’ diets – and
local extensionists continue to spread the word.
Cavies may suffer up to 50% mortality rate,
indicating a clear need to improve general
husbandry. Baseline data was gathered on the
genetic diversity of cavies to improve breeding by
partner organizations Biosciences eastern and
central Africa (BecA), International Livestock
Research Institute (ILRI), and University of Dschang
in Cameroon. On-farm forage demonstration plots
in four sites showed that herbaceous legumes,
including Canavalia brasiliensis and Desmodium
species, were enjoyed by cavies.
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Farmers are being trained in cultivating these
forages, which are also dry-season tolerant, and to
produce their own seeds for future replanting. To
address fluctuating market pricing between
producers and traders, members from the entire
cavy value chain were gathered for regular
meetings, from livestock keepers to traders and
consumers – 60% of them women. These
“innovation platforms” were designed to
revolutionize cavy production and marketing,
ensuring that producers get a fair price for their
produce and problems along the market access are
ironed out. Innovation platforms have just obtained
legal identity as associations and they already have
active bank accounts – a major achievement in just
18 months.
immediate host
of the tapeworm,
which can be
spread to
humans by
eating
undercooked
pork. The “One
Health”
Increased
Productivity and
Reduced Risk in
Pig Production
and Market
Chains Project
teaches pig
In Laos, improved forages are enhancing
farmers about the pig management and reducing risk
tapeworm cycle
and health risks related to poor pig management as
well as the potential for boosting profits by
producing healthier animals in more hygienic
conditions.
Together with partners, including ILRI, intensive
abattoir investigations, household surveys, and a
six-month antibody vaccination are being
implemented to address zoonotic diseases. This is
paired with improved animal management and
feeding, the introduction of high-quality feed, such
as Stylosanthes guianensis and Aschynomene
histrix, as well as improved cassava varieties, with
tests underway to determine best intercropping
practices.
Innovation platforms are revolutionizing cavy
production and marketing in the DRC
Despite substantial progress, there are still obstacles
to improving pig production systems. A focus on
drug supply and vaccine cold chains is needed. And
an awareness of the premium market potential of a
regular supply of fat and healthy pigs, in addition to
a functioning market chain from trader to farmer,
will go a long way to helping farmers maximize their
investment in pigs. We hope that further
engagement with other partners will secure support
to scale up such endeavors.
Holistic health - don’t forget the
consumer
This pioneering health initiative in Laos tackles,
among other diseases, cysticercosis in humans
– cysts in muscles and the brain caused by the pork
tapeworm (Taenia solium), which can lead to
seizures or even death – while improving pig
production, hygiene, and marketing. Pigs are the
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Australia-funded projects
CIAT Leader(s)
Period
US$
(in ‘000)
Increased productivity and reduced risk in pig production and market
chains
Tassilo Tiemann
2010-2014
481
Developing improved farming and marketing systems in rainfed regions
of southern Laos PDR
Tassilo Tiemann
2009-2013
401
Profitable and sustainable nutrient management system for eastern and
southern African farming systems
Rolf Sommer
2013
153
The global impact of sown tropical grassland and forage plants
Michael Peters
2011-2013
62
Harnessing husbandry of domestic cavy for alternative and rapid access
to food and income in Cameroon and the eastern Democratic Republic
of the Congo
Brigitte Maass
2011-2013
210
Werner Stür &
Tassilo Tiemann
2008-2011
143
Extension approaches to scaling out livestock production in northern
Lao PDR
Rod Lefroy
2007-2011
64
Forage legumes for supplementing village pigs in Lao PDR
Werner Stür
2006-2008
203
Enhancing the adoption of improved cassava production and utilization
systems in Indonesia and East Timor
Reinhardt Howeler
2004-2007
160
Seeds of Life
Reinhardt Howeler
2000-2003
49
Michael Peters
2002-2005
99
Integrated nutrient management in tropical cropping systems: Improved
capabilities in modeling and recommendations
Robert Delve
2003-2005
29
Developing forages with smallholder farmers: How to grow, manage and
use forages
Peter Kerridge
2001-2003
2
Peter Horne
2000-2005
1,132
Peter Kerridge
1995-1999
3,324
Project Name
Improved feeding systems for more efficient beef cattle production
Development of a knowledge system for the selection of forages for
farming systems in the tropics and subtropics
Forages and livestock systems project
Forages for smallholders project - Phase II
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Promise to partners
Looking forward: developing joint
visions
Our research is carried out with the highest integrity
and transparency, according to an agenda that is
socially and environmentally responsible. CIAT’s
research and related activities are demand driven,
and monitored and evaluated for social and
environmental impact and relevance. Innovation
and creativity drive our research, taking into
account gender and cultural diversity, and
incorporating effective methods for knowledge
sharing and learning to deliver lasting impact.
CIAT’s work harnesses global expertise and
partnerships to empower poor people to take
control of their earning capacity. In line with
Australia’s own vision to promote sound economic
growth and global stability, CIAT looks forward to
continuing its work with long-standing partners
including the Australian government, and shedding
light on today’s global challenges and solutions.
The global reach of CIAT research
Asia regional hub
Headquarters
Africa regional hub
CIAT Contacts
Ruben G. Echeverria
Director General
ruben.echeverria@cgiar.org
André Zandstra
Head, Partnerships & Donor Relations
a.zandstra@cgiar.org
Headquarters
Km 17, Recta Cali-Palmira
Apartado Aéreo 6713
Cali, Colombia
Phone: +57 2 4450000 (direct), +1 650 8336625 (via USA)
E-mail: ciat@cgiar.org
www.ciat.cgiar.org
Africa Regional Office
c/o International Centre of Insect Physiology and
Ecology (ICIPE)
Duduville Campus, off Kasarani Road
CIAT Africa Coordination
P Box 823-00621
.O.
Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 20 8632800 or +254 721574967
Robin Buruchara
E-mail: r.buruchara@cgiar.org
Asia Regional Office
c/o Institute of Agricultural Genetics
Pham Van Dong, Tu Liem
Ha Noi, Vietnam
Phone: +84-12-5826-2512
Rod Lefroy
E-mail: r.lefroy@cgiar.org
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Photos: Neil Palmer (CIAT)