The new ICARDA Strategy 2017 – 2026 builds on forty years of past achievements, lessons learned and successful partnerships and investments at regional and global levels. The Strategy is aligned with the national development priorities of the countries we work in, the CGIAR Strategic Results Framework 2016-2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda for 2030. The Strategy orients ICARDA’s research activities to find innovative and demand-driven solutions to guide sustainable development in drylands and to ensure that they have impact.

1. Executive Committee Meeting of the Board
of Trustees (revised 7th March 2017)
ICARDA Strategy 2017 – 2026
Building on 40 Years of Dryland Research
Andrew Noble
Beirut
4th March, 2016

2. Several converging trends:
• High population growth rates
• Unsustainable land and water use,
exacerbated by impacts of climate
change are driving the resources
degradation in drylands
• Increasing food and nutritional
insecurity; famine, poverty and poor
diets
• Demographic bulges of younger
people entering job markets; land
fragmentation
• Loss of livelihoods leading to
migration
• Loss of traditional knowledge and
cultural heritage
GLOBAL DRIVERS OF CHANGE IN DRYLANDS
Wider Development
Context
• Growth and Urbanization
• Human Development
• Political Crisis and
Upheaval
• Environmental
Sustainability
• Governance and Equity
issues
• Climate variability and
change
• Donors’ push for
outcome based results
• Dependency on
pollinators in agricultural
production

3. The Challenges The Risks The Opportunities
Largest food importer globally, with
more than 50% of the food consumed
imported.
Exposed to global grain market
volatility.
Social unrest and political instability.
• Rainfed production systems in the region dominate;
• Yield gap is significant and can be closed through improved agronomic
practices.
• 56% of population will be urbanized
• High levels of unemployment
(especially youth and in rural
communities) – limited job and
livelihood opportunities.
• Governance and equity issues
particularly affecting vulnerable
groups (women and youth)
• ‘Nine meals away from anarchy’.
• Idleness and discontent leads to
social unrest, migration, conflict
and resurgence in extremism.
• Gender inequity affects pace of
overall societal development and
economic growth
• Capacity building and skills upgrade – focusing on efficiency, use of
advanced technology, and profit
• Generate new and better job opportunities in the agricultural service
sectors, functional value chains and markets.
• Rural urban interface – food and labor supply.
• Empower women and young people.
• The most water scarce region in the
world.
• Reallocation of water from
agriculture.
• Improve on-farm water productivity in irrigated and rainfed production
systems.
• Move to higher value products – protected agriculture, and organic
farming
• ‘New water’ – recycled and brackish water; desalination; water
harvesting.
• Diversification of farming systems and sources of incomes
Climate change – will we be able to do
agriculture in certain areas?
A disruptor of economic growth
particularly in the agricultural sector.
Increased migration
• Build resilient and profitable smallholder farming systems that are
climate protected.
• Alternative income streams for rural communities – renewable energy
producers
• Rich agrobiodiversity with inherent adaptive traits.
Most unstable/volatile region Continuity of projects, accessibility of
communities, brain drain
• Increasing interest from the donor community to reduce push factors
for migration
Addressing Challenges in the MENA and Dryland region

4. 4
Our Vision
Tag line: Science-based solutions for thriving
and resilient drylands.
We envision thriving and resilient livelihoods
in dryland communities of the developing
world with robust incomes, secure access to
food, markets, nutrition and health, and the
capacity to manage natural resources in
equitable, sustainable, innovative ways.

5. 5
Our Mission
Tag line: To reduce poverty, food and nutritional
insecurity and environmental degradation in the
face of climate change.
We seek to provide innovative science-based
solutions for improving the livelihoods and
resilience of the resource-poor in non-tropical
drylands in order to reduce poverty, enhance
food, nutrition, and water security, through the
sustainable management of natural resources in
the face of climate change. We do this through
cutting-edge science, strategic partnerships and
capacity development for inclusive and equitable
growth.

6. SDGsCGIAR
SLOs
OURRESEARCH
5
SRATEGIC
RESEARCH
PRIORITIES
(SRP)
4
CROSS-
CUTTING
THEMES
(CCT)
SRP2. Improved
and resilient
crops for greater
food security in
face of climate
variability and
change and
market
volatilities.
SRP3.
Develop
integrated
drylands farming
systems for
improved and
resilient
livelihoods.
SRP5: Support
sustainable use
and management
of water and land
resources in
drylands.
SRP1.
Preserve, protect
and utilize
agricultural
biodiversity in
order to meet
future climates and
market related
challenges.
REDUCED
POVERTY
FOOD &
NUTRITION
SECURITY
SUSTAINABLE
MANAGEMENT
OF NATURAL
RESOURCES
Climate Change
Adaptation and
Mitigation
Gender Equity and
Youth
Big Data & ICT
Taking Research to Scale – Partnerships for Impact
SRP4.
Support the
establishment of
functional value
chains and viable off-
farm activities for
diversified incomes
and improved
livelihoods in drylands.
Capacity Development

7. 7
Science Strengths
• Unique collections of wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea,
faba bean, grass pea and forage genetic resources
and rhizobia
• Key contributor to global germplasm conservation
• Small ruminant genetics and expertise and breeding
programs using local indigenous species
• Develop improved germplasm to meet farmer and
market needs, with resistance to biotic and abiotic
stress, with quality and nutritional attributes
• Water harvesting in dry areas and on-farm water
management
• Integrated Systems research capacity
• Integrated farming systems for the dry regions – we
have all the elements in one decentralized Centre
• GIS / RS skills and capacity
• Biometrics and Statistics support, innovations and
knowledge sharing
• On-farm research that allows a deeper
understanding of the challenges, and enable us to
offer adoptable solutions to prevalent problem
• Farming with alternative pollinators (FAP).
Leveraging our strengths and comparative advantage

8. 8
Organizational Strengths
• Close and enduring partnerships with wide
network of NARS
• Capacity building of national agricultural research
systems and training of students, scientists and
professionals
• Experience of working in fragile states and post-
conflict reconstruction of the agricultural sector
• Decentralized structure that makes us nimble and
effective by conducting research where it matters
the most
Leveraging our strengths and comparative advantage

9. • Re-structure programs in line with new
ICARDA strategic objectives
• Optimize current and develop new
physical infrastructure
• Strengthen result-based performance
management through establishment of
MEL platform
• Build an integrated technology
environment
• Build skills and leadership development
• Recognize and reward scientific
excellence
• Recruit and retain highly talented,
engaged and diverse staff
• Enhance communication effectiveness,
knowledge sharing and accountability
• Achieve operational efficiencies
• Generate stable and increased revenue
• Align resource mobilization with strategic
priorities
• Expand donor base and implement
alternative funding mechanisms and
revenue streams
• Foster research excellence and innovation
• Focus on functional agri-food systems
• Closing the yield gap and accelerating
genetic gains
• Focus the value chains and core
commodities i.e. wheat, barley, lentil, faba
bean, kabuli chickpea, small ruminants.
• Enhance investments in pre-breeding
• Enhance agronomy skills
• Tackle key futuristic challenges (i.e.4
Degree World).
• Aligned with CGIAR SRF and SDGs
Innovation and
scientific
excellence
Financial
health and
stability
Fit-for
purpose
organization
structure
Enable our
people
New ICARDA Business Model

10. 10
• Responding to current and future challenges in drylands of the
developing world, and in particular ICARDA’s traditional
sphere of operation in the MENA region – the global
challenges are manifested in the MENA
• Responding to NARS needs and priorities that emerged from
consultations
• Consultation with staff.
• Alignment with CGIAR SRF and SDG Agenda
• Activities likely to produce greatest impact
• Leveraging ICARDA’s strengths and comparative advantages.
• What is core to our business and needs to be retained at all
costs.
• The new futuristic challenges:
– Our and partner comparative advantage.
– Key to challenges that the region/global – climate change,
water scarcity, value chains – key to job creation.
How did we arrive at these research priorities

11. • Enriching our collections with novel diversity through gap filling and
adaptive traits targeting collecting.
• Pre-breeding - adaptive genes from wild relative for a 4°C warmer World in
our mandated crops – “climate smart crops”.
• Selection of climate change adapted strains of rhizobium and endophytes.
• Genomics of small ruminants and food crops a tool for understanding heat
and cold tolerance – building “climate resilient” small ruminants.
• Precision feeding and flock / herd reproductive management and plant
germplasm.
• Creating functional value chains for durum, barley, pulses and small
ruminants – job creation and targeting markets.
• The Options x Context in sustainable land management – decision
supporting tool.
• Protected agriculture a key element in addressing water scarcity – full self
sustaining systems producing high value crops – Sundrop systems.
• Sequential biological concentration – adding value to marginal quality
water – developing value chains for saline irrigation drainage waters.
Farming with alternative pollinators.
Science and
innovation
Innovation for the future – what is new?

12. Strategic Research Priorities
Focus: Identifying and introgressing novel genes into breeding programs adapted to
the agro-ecologies of dry areas, future climates and markets.
Key research activities
• Collect, conserve and distribute genetic resources.
• Reconstruction of the active and base collections; Reconstruction of rhizobium collection.
• Promoting the use of genetic resources through mining for desirable traits using improved
Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS development).
• Pre-breeding - introgression of adaptive genes from wild relative species and genotyping
of accessions in order to identify sources of resistance to emerging needs (a 4°C World),
new allelic variation and QTLs.
• Precision phenotyping for target traits.
• Super nitrogen fixing legumes – selection of adapted strains of rhizobium and
endophytes.
• Application of the Next-Generation sequencing technologies for development of additional
genomic and genetic tools and information for the ICARDA mandated crops.
• Build One Global Wheat Program
• Farming with alternative pollinators.
Science and
innovation
SRP1. Preserve, protect and utilize agricultural biodiversity in
drylands in order to meet future climate and market related challenges

13. Strategic Research Priorities
SRP2. Improved and resilient crops for greater food security in
face of climate variability and change and market volatilities
Focus: Improved germplasm for current and emerging biophysical constraints
and markets adapted to the agro-ecologies of dry areas and future climates.
Key research activities
• Widening the genetic base through introgression of new variability (from SRO1) to
ensure yield stability, quality and nutritional attributes i.e. heat and drought
tolerance; biotic and abiotic stress linked to climate change (CIMMYT and
ICRISAT), rationalization of test environments.
• Development of combined resistance to existing and emerging pests and diseases.
• Study mechanisms of resistances for key pests of cereals and food legumes.
• Addressing the yield gap through genetic gain in rainfed and irrigation systems.
• Characterize and classify production environments for the target crops/varieties
through multi-environment trials
• Accelerating genetic gains through precision breeding
• Development of genetic stocks such as association panels, mapping populations,
TILLING, NAM and MAGIC populations.
• Distribution of elite germplasm to NARS through International nurseries.
Science and
innovation

14. Strategic Research Priorities
SRP3. Develop integrated drylands farming systems for improved
and resilient livelihoods
Focus: Integrated, mixed, multi-enterprise landuse systems adapted to key dryland
agro-ecologies (rainfed, agro-pastoral and irrigated) and markets
Key research activities
• Development of integrated crop-legumes-livestock systems and carbon neutral
systems.
• Genomics to make SR breeding programs more efficient – heat and cold tolerance.
• Focus on agronomy and land resources management in rainfed systems.
• Camel production systems and added value of camel products – value chain of camel
products.
• Sheep fattening systems and precision feeding.
• The Options x Context methodology to target scaling and geo-informatics targeting.
• Community based breeding programs.
• Low cost machinery in conservation agriculture system.
• Rangeland management and agro-forestry systems.
• Efficient management and use of water resources to support the various landuse, and
eco-systems, and livelihoods
Science and
innovation

15. Strategic Research Priorities
SRP4: Support the establishment of functional value chains and
viable off-farm activities for diversified incomes and improved
agricultural systems livelihoods in drylands.
Focus: Support development and establishment of multi-enterprise farming systems in
key dryland agro-ecologies and associated markets
Key research activities
• Monitoring and evaluation for investment programs.
• Multi criteria assessment (Environment – economic – equity) of technologies within
systems.
• Creating service sector.
Shift to mechanization – novel service delivery systems.
Building manufacturing capacity to produce inexpensive machines.
• Creating functional value chains for durum, barley, legumes and small ruminants.
Evaluation of new markets – Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Novel policies and creation of enabling environments.
Science and
innovation

16. Focus: Enhance water and land productivity in key dryland agro-ecologies (rainfed, irrigated and agro-
pastoral) and associated markets.
Key research activities
• In situ storage of water in rainfed systems and rangelands.
• On-farm irrigation water use efficiency and nutrient use efficiency.
• Safe use of treated waste water – urban-rural interface.
• Quantification and measurement of ET in irrigated and rainfed systems.
• Carbon sequestration in rainfed systems – understanding the dynamics and deep storage in soils.
• Rehabilitation of degraded soils – salinization, erosion.
• New water - fog, aquifer recharge, conjunctive use of saline and fresh water.
• Landscape modification in the rangelands – rehabilitation of degraded systems.
• Protected agriculture a key element in addressing water scarcity - Sundrop.
• Sequential biological concentration – making a profit out of saline water
• Understanding water balances – establishing thresholds, and developing decision making tools for
effective management and use of different water sources including groundwater mapping,
conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources, etc.
• Water-food-energy nexus
SRP5: Support sustainable use and management of water and land
resources in drylands.
Strategic Research Priorities
Science and
innovation

17. Climate Change
Adaptation and
Mitigation
Gender Equity and
Youth
Big Data and ICT
Cross-cutting Priorities
Capacity Development

18. 18
Organizational Goal 1. ICARDA becomes recognized as world-class
leader and source of agricultural research and science-based
solutions for drylands
Our Picture of Success
• Leading think-tank in
dryland agricultural
science fostering scientific
rigor and research
excellence
• Shaper of critical debates and policies,
nationally and globally, on science-based
agricultural development in drylands
• Provider of a unique suite
of science-based tools,
products and flagships
publications
• Improved global positioning through refreshed
ICARDA brand, higher visibility and increased
communication of research results

19. 19
Organizational Goal 2. ICARDA research outputs are delivered
strategically to key stakeholders invested in transforming agriculture
and development in drylands
Our Picture of Success
• Rapid uptake of new
research knowledge and
cutting-edge technologies
and innovations
• Build strategic partnerships and pursue
opportunities for multi-disciplinary collaboration
both internally and externally
• Engage in national, regional
and global fora and
opportunities to enhance
outreach and impact of
research, and build skills
and capacities
• Identify, promote and advocate for agricultural
science-based solutions to address key
development challenges in vulnerable dryland
communities

20. 20
Measuring our Success – the HOW
1. ICARDA's work falls under 4 CRPs and 3 platforms,
we will select from the pool of CRP indicators that are
most applicable to ICARDA's research priorities.
2. Since CGIAR SRF is aligned with SDGs, we will also
consider SDG related indicators and refer to their
related targets to 2020 to extrapolate ours.
3. For niche ICARDA research activities that fall outside
the CGIAR SRF, we will consider relevant indicators
and targets used by partners or donors who support us
in this area or do similar work.
4. We will use the MEL platform to support a streamlined
results-based management process that links planning,
implementation and reporting with performance and
results.

21. 21
Business Development Unit (BDU) – Ensuring Impact
GENERATING INCOME STREAMS
• Establish a consultancy arm/ Undertake a comprehensive assessment of possible business
models/incubators
• Seed delivery to small holder farmers – establish in partnership with public/private sector
commercial seed enterprises i.e. SeedCo. Explore with CIMMYT the potential to become a
global wheat seed provider.
• Become producers of breeder seed and certified seed for sale and distribution to commercial
seed companies.
• Explore the possibility of developing a M&E enterprise based on the MEL systems –
providing services to CGIAR centres and CRPs already but expand i.e. IFAD and WFP.
• Develop a breeding flock of superior rams and ewes based on the combined Awassi flock at
Terbol. Explore possibilities of providing superior and elite genetic material through semen
and embryo transfer.
• Secure a patent on the raised bed machine with the ARC, Egypt and move into a joint
venture with the manufacturer to build machines for North African and Sub-Saharan Africa
• Offer advisory/consultancy/training services to big private agricultural businesses on water
conservation, water crop requirement, using different qualities of water, IPM, GIS and RS
information, and other studies

22. Thank you