Publications /  Annual Report 1999

"The CGIAR stands ready to move forward vigorously as a rededicated South–North enterprise capable of fulfilling a global vision of less poverty in the world; a healthier, better nourished, human family; reduced pressure on fragile natural resources; and people-centered policies for sustainable agricultural development." —Ismail Serageldin, Chairman, CGIAR.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), established in 1971, is an informal association of 58 public- and private-sector members that supports a network of 16 international agricultural research centers. The CGIAR’s budget for 1999 was funded at US$330 million. It is co-sponsored by the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Environment Programme.

The CGIAR’s mission is to contribute to food security and poverty eradication in developing countries through research, partnership, capacity building, and policy support. It promotes sustainable agricultural development based on environmentally sound management of natural resources, focusing on five major research thrusts:

Increasing productivity in developing-country agriculture through genetic improvements in plants, livestock, fish, and trees, and through better management practices; protecting the environment through conservation of natural resources (especially soil and water) and reductions of the impact of agriculture; saving biodiversity, through one of the world’s largest ex situ collections of plant genetic resources (over 500,000 accessions of more than 3,000 crop, forage, and agroforestry species), held in trust for the world community; improving policies that influence the spread of new technologies and the management and use of natural resources; strengthening national research in developing countries through partnerships with national programs and training in research techniques, administration, and management.

Future Harvest

Future Harvest raises awareness of the importance of science for food, the environment, and the world’s poor. Based in Washington, DC, Future Harvest commissions studies to explore the links between food and agriculture and issues such as global peace, prosperity, environmental renewal, health, and the alleviation of human suffering. It also enlists public figures to become advocates for agricultural research, and informs decision-makers and the general public about the importance of food production and the role of agricultural science in meeting the human and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Created by the 15 centers of the CGIAR, Future Harvest is supported by CIP and other research centers, donors to the CGIAR, foundations, and individuals.