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
Website: www.icarda.org
7 June 2007
                             Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
Syrian Delegation Visits ICARDA
A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reforms (MAAR), Syria, headed by H.E. Dr Nabi Rashid Mouhamed, Deputy Minister, visited ICARDA on 31 May 2007. The delegation included Eng. Mr Ateih Al-Hindi, Director, National Agricultural Policy Center; Dr Awadis Arslan, Director, Natural Resources Department, GCSAR; and Mr Zuhair Zaher, Head, Soil Fertility Section, GCSAR. The purpose of their visit was to discuss the implementation of a case study (Barley fertilization in Syria) being implemented by ICARDA and the CGIAR Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA).
The lentil field day in Barquum village, Aleppo province, focused on a technology package - the improved variety Idleb-2, plus improved management methods, as well as more effective use of farm equipment.

Dr William Erskine, ADG-R, welcomed the visitors on behalf of Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General. He noted the long-standing collaboration between ICARDA and the Syrian national program that has led to significant impacts in technology generation and adoption, as well as policy change to further stimulate agricultural development in the country. Dr Erskine also spoke of the key role that policy makers play in creating an enabling environment for technology adoption - and correspondingly, the importance of research to ensure that policy is based on sound science.

H.E. Dr Mouhamed emphasized the importance of collaborative research, and the spillover benefits it brings to the entire region. He commended ICARDA for the quality of research as well as the inclusive approach, fully involving national researchers and policy makers as well as farmers and other partners. "My administrative duties reduce the time I am able to spend with field researchers," he said. "That is why I find visits to research centers like ICARDA particularly refreshing."
H.E. Dr Nabi Rashid Mouhamed (center) and Eng. Ateih Al-Hindi (right), Director, National Agricultural Policy Center, visited the ICARDA genebank.

Dr Kamel Shideed, SEPR Director, made a presentation on 'Impact assessment of policy-oriented research', describing the context of the case study, and its potential application in the future. The Syria case study is one of seven studies being implemented by the SPIA as part of a program to assess the impact of policy-oriented research in the CGIAR. Dr Shideed noted that without adequate policy support technological innovations would generate little or no impact. He explained that a key aim of this study - apart from the immediate purpose of impact assessment - was to facilitate the flow of information between researchers and policy makers; and to draw lessons on how best to integrate research outputs into agricultural policy. These lessons can then be applied to increase the impact of research in many areas, including livestock, markets, and improvement of livelihoods.

Dr Ahmed Mazid, ICARDA Economist, outlined the questionnaires to be used for the case study. This was followed by discussions on planning and implementation, to help ensure that the study would be comprehensive, and would also provide broader lessons on how to strengthen research-policy linkages. One major outcome of the meeting was a decision to establish a joint Ministry/ICARDA committee in order to (i) provide policy makers with regular information on recent research results and their policy implications, (ii) provide information and technical assistance to accelerate implementation of specific research initiatives for rainfed areas in Syria.

The visitors also toured the field experiments and laboratory facilities at Tel Hadya, including the biotechnology laboratory, the genebank, and the small ruminants unit.
 

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.

Back