The CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers, and Bananas aims to enhance food security, nutrition, and livelihoods while addressing climate change resilience and gender equity among smallholders. It focuses on broad collaboration with over 350 partners and employs an associative model of governance to improve diverse RTB crops through various flagship projects. The program emphasizes added value through innovation, strong gender research, and effective monitoring and evaluation.

1. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8
CGIAR Research Program on Roots,
Tubers and Bananas: introduction
GRAHAM THIELE – CALI, OCTOBER 2018

2. “Associative” model of governance
• Broad based collaborative platform
• 350+ partners

3. RTB is working globally to harness the untapped
potential of those crops to improve food security,
nutrition, income, climate change resilience and
gender equity of smallholders
Banana
Plantain
Cassava Potato Sweetpotato Yam Other R&T
Program Objectives

4. Research design: where is value added in RTB?
RTB crops share:
•Genetic complexity (> grains)
•Vegetative propagation, similar seed
systems
•Perishability, bulkiness and post
harvest/value chain options

5. Program Structure: Flagship Projects (FP)
FP1
Enhanced
genetic
resources
FP2
Productive
varieties &
quality
seed
FP3
Resilient
crops
FP4
Nutritious
food &
added
value
FP5 Improved livelihoods at scale
Outcome Orientation
foresight/horizon scanning
Livelihoods
tradeoffs for intensification
gender transformative
Outcome Support
scaling, partnerships, gender responsive

6. Six reasons why RTB is still the best CRP!
1. Added value through synergistic, cross cutting flagship research
2. Leading the way among CRPs for new breeding mindset (EiB)
3. Strong gender research, new directions
4. Dynamized communications, raised visibility RTB crops
5. Cutting edge on scaling
6. Outstanding monitoring, evaluation and learning platform

7. Thank you