ICARDA News

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
3 October 2002
For more information contact:S.Varma@cgiar.org
Regional Dryland Agrobiodiversity Project
Holds Annual Meeting in Amman
Participants in a regional project aimed at conserving dryland agrobiodiversity through profitable on-farm utilization met in Amman, Jordan, on 13-16 September to review success and make plans for the coming year.
    "The project is on track, and impact is apparent," said ICARDA Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy at the opening session of the Fourth Regional Technical and Planning Meeting of the project entitled Conservation and Sustainable Use of Dryland Agrobiodiversity in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Authority.
Participants in the Fourth Regional Technical and Planning Meeting of the project entitled Conservation and Sustainable Use of Dryland Agrobiodiversity in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestinian Authority, held in Amman, 13-16 September.
    "The importance of biodiversity conservation can hardly be over-emphasized," said Prof. Dr El-Beltagy in pledging the Center's continued support and willingness to extend the project to other dryland areas.
    The Agrobiodiversity Project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF)/United Nations Development Programme, and is coordinated regionally by ICARDA, working closely with national representatives and partner agencies, the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute and the Arab Center for Studies of the Arid Zones and Dry Lands.
    The project was established in response to diminishing agricultural plant biodiversity. It operates on the premise that agrobiodiversity will be conserved when farmers can make a profit from utilization of unique landrace species. So, apart from collection and conservation of plant species in field genebanks, the project encourages farmers and entrepreneurs to produce value-added products, such as jams, breads, and medicines, from landraces.
At the opening session, Jordan's Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Prof. Dr Mahmud Duwayri, said he is committed to making the project a successful model that could be used by hisministry.
    "Already, agrobiodiversity is being institutionalized in Jordan," said Prof. Dr Duwayri, who stressed the need to promote the sustainable use of indigenous species.
    H.E. Mr Rafiq Al-Natsha, Minister of Agriculture, Palestinian Authority, took the opportunity to acknowledge the people on the front lines of the project—farmers and farm communities.
    "I want to thank our farmers who are saving our genetic resources . . . preserving biodiversity despite the military occupation [on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip]," said Mr Al-Natsha.
    National project staff members working in the territories of the Palestinian Authority are severely restricted in their ability to visit project sites. Some farmer cooperators are unable even to visit their fields.
    Despite this, the project is progressing, said H.E. the Minister, who promised that soon the Palestinian national program would host the annual meeting, "and you will see the plants conserved by ourfarmers."
    The GEF Coordinator for the Arab region, Dr Hani Daraghma, endorsed the "significant project achievements" and conclusions of the midterm review report. He cited in particular the "substantially enhanced public awareness" about the importance of agrobiodiversity conservation, and acknowledged the hard work of the Palestinian national cooperators in overcoming the hardships in traveling to project sites and to the meeting in Amman.
    Dr Daraghma said future work should focus on strengthening "regionality and cooperation."
    Dryland Agrobiodiversity Project Regional Coordinator, Dr Ahmed Amri, presented the results of year three. The project has been successful, but should strengthen its community-based approach and increase cooperation with other projects and non-governmental organizations, Dr Amri said.
    He said the project is creating a clearer picture of the causes of agrobiodiversity loss. The principal culprit is not monoculture of improved varieties, as has sometimes been suggested, but rather the spread of unsustainable enterprises, such as olive groves and apple orchards, in areas best left to indigenous range or landrace crop species.
    The speakers at the opening session were introduced by Dr William Erskine, ICARDA's Assistant Director General for Research.
    Others at the head table included Dr Asaad Abu-Ragheb, Secretary General, Ministry of Agriculture, Jordan; Dr Azzam Tubbailah, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Palestinian Authority; and Dr Abdel Nabi-Fardous, Director General, National Center for
At the opening session of the Project's annual meeting in Amman are, from left, Dr Hani Daraghma, GEF Coordinator for the Arab region; Dr Azzam Tubbailah, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Palestinian Authority; H.E. Mr Rafiq Al-Natsha, Minister of Agriculture, Palestinian Authority; H.E. Prof. Dr Mahmud Duwayri, Minister of Agriculture, Jordan; Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, Director General, ICARDA; Dr Asaad Abu-Ragheb, Secretary General, Ministry of Agriculture, Jordan; and Dr Abdel Nabi-Fardous, Director General, National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer, Jordan.
H.E. Prof. Dr Mahmud Duwayri opens an agrobiodiversity fair at Ajloun Castle, where local products were presented by the representatives of the Jordanian Project Components and by collaborating farmers and agencies. Next to H.E. the Minister at right are Prof. Dr El-Beltagy and Dr M. Ajlouni.
H.E. the Minister and Prof. Dr El-Beltagy are shown a jar of preserves on display at the agrobiodiversity fair at Ajloun Castle.
Local women roast durum wheat and make bread for visitors to sample at the agrobiodiversity fair.
H.E. Prof. Dr Mahmud Duwayri, Minister of Agriculture, Jordan, presents a plaque of appreciation to Prof. Dr El-Beltagy. Seated at left is H.E. Mr Rafiq Al-Natsha, Minister of Agriculture, Palestinian Authority; and looking on is Dr Abdel Nabi-Fardous, Director General, National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer, Jordan.
Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer, Jordan.
    In the afternoon of 14 September, Prof. Dr El-Beltagy accompanied H.E. the Minister of Agriculture, Jordan, and all the participants to the opening of the agrobiodiversity fair organized at Ajloun Castle, where local products were presented by the Jordanian Project Components and by collaborating farmers.
    The 4th Regional Steering Committee meeting was held on 15 September, at which important recommendations were made on strengthening the role of the Regional Component and the involvement of local communities.

ICARDA's (www.icarda.org) mission is to improve the welfare of people and alleviate poverty through research and training in dry areas of the developing world by increasing production, productivity, and nutritional quality of food, while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base. ICARDA is a Future Harvest Center.
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