The CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (GLDC) is a global partnership that harnesses the potential of crops to alleviate poverty, improve food security, nutrition, climate change resilience, and boost incomes in the semi-arid and sub-humid dryland agroecologies of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

1. It tackles the grand global challenges
How it achieves this
9 crops
13 countries
Foresight projection suggests increasing
deficit between long-term aggregate supply and
demand for these crops, especially for grain legumes
• By promoting key nutritions crops
• By building on three CRPs (2012-2016): Grain Legumes, Dryland Cereals and Dryland Systems
• By adding value to country strategies: Addressing issues pertinent to the region and accelerating interventions
• By transforming agri-food systems in the target ecologies: Take up a more holistic approach to unlock the potential of
cereal-legume-tree-livestock synergies and create an enabling environment for demand-driven innovation
Partnerships is the key
System level outcomes (SLOs)
• Reduced poverty
• Improved food and nutrition security for health
• Improved natural resources and ecosystem services
What is GLDC and why it is crucial
The CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (GLDC) is a global partnership that harnesses the
potential of crops to alleviate poverty, improve food security, nutrition, climate change resilience, and boost incomes
in the semi-arid and sub-humid dryland agroecologies of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
>300 million poor and malnourished
live in the target ecologies
Highest risk of hunger
(2030-50 projections)
199 million stunted children
(as of 2016)
Food prices could double
due to climate change
Strategic partnerships are critical to the success of the GLDC. The CRP will feature
a multidisciplinary team from CGIAR centers, public and private organizations,
governments, and farmers.
http://gldc.cgiar.org
Projected outcomes (2022-30)
meet their daily nutritional needs
cumulative carbon inputs to soils
Grain Legumes and
Dryland Cereals
Other major issues:
• Land degradation • Competition for land
• Aging and changing workforce
GLDC priority
crops and
countries
Intermediate Development Outcomes (IDOs)
• Increased climate change resilience
• Improved diets
• Sustainable agro-ecosystems
• Increased incomes and employment
• Increased productivity
farm households adopt improved varieties
exit poverty
8.9 million
4.4 million
12.7 million
4.9 million tons
21.7 million
11.8 million
24.8 million
13.1 million tons
2022
2022
2022
2020
2030
2030
2030
2030
50% women beneficiaries
across the project