The research portfolio of the Center is built on four major research programs with supporting cross-cutting service units.

The four research programs are:

-	Biodiversity and Integrated Gene Management
-	Integrated Water and Land Management
-	Diversification and Sustainable Intensification of Production Systems
-	Social, Economic and Policy Research

The research agenda in each program is built on themes and sub-themes, designed to produce, through integrated research and training efforts, targeted outputs that contribute to the Center's objectives.

The integrated research and training activities include those carried out at headquarters and/or in collaboration with NARS (facilitated by the Center's outreach programs). These are complemented by the activities associated with the Center's participation in Challenge Programs, Systemwide Programs, Ecoregional Programs, and global initiatives.


Research Program 1. Biodiversity and Integrated Gene Management (BIGM)
Rationale
The ICARDA region is home to three of the world's eight major centers of plant diversity: the Fertile Crescent, the Abyssinian region, and Central Asia. Many crops, fruits, vegetables, forage species, and herbs originated and were first domesticated in this region. This offers unique opportunities to identify sources of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses-particularly heat and drought, which are becoming increasingly important in the context of climate change. Unfortunately these genetic resources are being rapidly eroded, threatening the loss of landraces and wild relatives of agriculturally important species, as well as the associated beneficial insect predators and micro-organisms that co-evolved with them. ICARDA has a responsibility to help conserve and sustainably use this unique biodiversity for the advancement of agriculture globally.

ICARDA-CIMMYT collaboration
ICARDA and CIMMYT share the mandate for wheat improvement research in Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA). The two centers have a long-standing partnership, formalized in 2005 through the ICARDA- CIMMYT Wheat Improvement Program (ICWIP) for CWANA, hosted at ICARDA and managed by a jointly appointed Director. It operates under clearly established guidelines for networking with NARS, and joint priority setting and fund raising. Activities include the Global Rust Initiative launched in response to the threat of a potentially devastating new race of stem rust disease; and a partnership with Turkey on winter wheat.

ICARDA has a global mandate for barley, lentil and faba bean research, and an ecoregional mandate for durum and bread wheat (with CIMMYT), kabuli chickpea, and forage and pasture crops. The BIGM program is involved in developing improved technologies, enhanced germplasm and associated knowledge and crop management practices, as well as innovative methodologies, to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods of the rural poor.

The program focuses on crops that are central to national economic and food security needs. For example, wheat is the principal crop in the CWANA region, accounting for 45% of caloric intake-but domestic production is insufficient, and substantial imports are needed to meet the deficit. Barley is the principal feed for small ruminants (the main source of livelihoods in the driest areas) and also an important human food in many countries. Food legumes, often referred to as "poor man's meat," are a major source of dietary protein, particularly for the poorest households.

	Theme 1.1. Biodiversity and its utilization
	Ex situ and in situ conservation of genetic resources, including wild relatives of barley, wheat, food legumes (lentil, chickpea and faba bean) and feed legumes (vetch and grass pea), and characterization, documentation and evaluation of their genetic diversity for desirable traits
	Theme 1.2. Integrated gene management
	Crop improvement through conventional and biotechnological methods, including participatory plant breeding and integrated pest management, and dissemination of improved germplasm within a production systems context
	Sub-Themes
	1.2.1. Development of improved genetic stocks and improved varieties of barley, wheat and legumes, adapted to various agroecologies and to climate change; and their distribution globally 1.2.2. Development of integrated pest management (IPM) control options including resistance sources, pathogenicity spectrum, and biological control mechanisms against diseases and insects of mandate crops
	Theme 1.3. Seed delivery systems
	Research on strengthening seed systems through increased private sector participation and alternative delivery systems, including institutional and policy options; and improving the availability, and access to NARS and national seed programs, of improved varieties of barley, wheat, and food and feed legumes

Targets
Enhanced agricultural productivity, production stability, and nutritional quality through high-yielding and stress-tolerant varieties of food/feed legumes, barley and bread and durum wheats adapted to climatic variability and change in different agroecologies.

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Research Program 2. Integrated Water and Land Management (IWLM)
Rationale
A number of converging trends, including water scarcity, land degradation, population growth and climate change, exacerbate the challenges of the dry areas. These trends all add to the increasing uncertainty for the rural poor who depend largely on the fragile natural resource base. Further, climate change models predict that the northern and southern Africa and West Asia regions will become hotter and drier with changes in seasonal and spatial distribution of precipitation and increasing incidence and magnitude of extreme weather events such as drought.

At least 15 non-tropical countries have the lowest per capita water supplies. The problem is further compounded by the fact that the share of water allocated to agriculture (currently over 75%) is likely to decrease with increased competition from the expanding domestic and industrial sectors. This trend will result in increasing volumes of wastewater that will be used for crop production in treated, untreated, or partly treated forms.

Uncontrolled exploitation of groundwater has led to falling water tables, abandoned wells, dried-up springs and qanats, and salt-water intrusion. Opportunities for expanding cultivated lands are, therefore, minimal. Sustainable increases in food supplies must come from increased productivity of both rainfed and irrigated agriculture, i.e. producing "more crop per drop". The need to improve water use in agriculture is not only vital for agricultural productivity but also for ecosystem health in dry areas, some of which also include important wetland biodiversity reserves.

Given the complexity of causal factors of land degradation, an integrated approach including broad stakeholder participation is essential if the livelihoods-and security needs-of the people inhabiting dry lands are to be improved without further degrading their environments. Technological, institutional and policy options are required to prevent further land degradation and build viable livelihoods.

	Theme 2.1. Water
	Sustainable, equitable, efficient and economic use of scarce water resources in agricultural production and within rural communities, with due concern for watershed management and wider environmental and social downstream implications Sub-Themes 2.1.1. Assessment of available water resources, including precipitation, surface water, groundwater and marginal water, and the productivity, benefits and costs of their use at different scales in agriculture (plant, field, farm, watershed, basin) 2.1.2. Options and strategies for sustainable use and improved water productivity of rain, irrigation, shallow water aquifers, and marginal-quality waters in rainfed and irrigated systems through water harvesting, supplemental irrigation, agro-management, improved germplasm, and integrated agricultural production systems 2.1.3. Methods, options and strategies for drought characterization, preparedness and mitigation 2.1.4. Policy and institutional options
	Theme 2.2. Land
	Combating land degradation and contributing to mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change through sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including soil, in cropland and rangelands
	Sub-Themes
	2.2.1. Development of a holistic approach to improved land management to combat desertification (loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, salinization, alkalinization, waterlogging) 2.2.2. Development of multi-scale tools and methods to assess land degradation (location, extent, driving forces, causes, impacts and consequences of desertification in dry areas) 2.2.3. 'Best-bet' technologies and practices developed for sustainable management of land, biodiversity and rangeland resources, including community-based land management practices 2.2.4. Improved policy and institutional options

Targets
Higher water productivity and incomes as well as more sustainable and judicious use of the various water resources by resource-poor farming communities from technical, institutional and policy options, methodologies, approaches, and toolkits.

Desertification halted/ameliorated with enabling policy environment mainstreamed and promoted to achieve more equitable and sustainable use of natural resources by poor farming communities in the dry areas through technical, institutional, and policy options, methodologies, and approaches.

Coping with climate variability and change through adaptation to, and mitigation of drought and high temperatures.

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Research Program 3. Diversification and Sustainable Intensification of Production Systems (DSIPS)
Rationale
The majority of the rural population in non-tropical dry areas of the developing countries is involved in the agricultural sector, with crops and livestock contributing significantly to livelihoods of the poor. In many areas, livestock (particularly small ruminants) and their products can make up to 50% of the items consumed and marketed. The development of agriculture and agriculture-related activities is, thus, a major driver of economic growth and food security. Women are often involved either as labor or in the management of inputs, or in post-harvest activities. Rapid urbanization and market expansion with an increased demand for crop and livestock products is encouraging a shift from subsistence farming to market-oriented production, and opening opportunities for income improvement for the rural poor.

Most dry-area production systems are traditional, with low input use, poor management, and little diversity. Intensification and diversification of production systems are necessary for risk management and increased income through access to local and export market opportunities.

The low productivity of the production systems of resource poor farmers can be improved with cost effective management, efficient integration of crop and livestock activities, reduction of the yield gap, and strengthened linkages along the market chain.

Diversified systems producing high-value products could lead also to a leap in income improvement. There is also more demand for high quality and nutritious products that can reduce risks to human health, and can lead to improved diets from crop and animal food sources for children and rural women.

Most non-tropical dry areas are vulnerable to resource degradation and need innovative technologies, institutions and policies that allow sustainable use of natural resources including water, rangelands, crops and livestock, to further enhance income opportunities. Crop and livestock diseases and phytosanitary restrictions continue to be a major constraint to productivity and trade, affecting accessibility to markets and increasing risks.

Intensified and diversified agriculture production systems can help combat poverty, support sustainable use of natural resources, and provide an economic cushion in the event of an unexpected breakdown of peace and security, or unpredicted events due to climate change.

	Theme 3.1. Sustainable Intensification
	Sustainable intensification of dry-area crop and livestock production systems with market orientation to increase agricultural productivity and to impact livelihoods through exploitation of yield potential, improved management, and sustainable use of genetic and natural resources Sub-Themes 3.1.1. Methods and options supporting crop intensification for enhanced productivity, through conservation agriculture, appropriate food-feed crop integration, cereal/legume rotations and multiple cropping 3.1.2. Agronomic practices to improve water-use efficiency and economic returns per unit of available water 3.1.3. Methods and sustainable and cost-efficient options within a range of production systems, to intensify livestock production systems and capture diverse market opportunities 3.1.4. Development of a framework for community-based livestock breeding to allow continuous access by farmers to improved breeds, matching available animal genetic resources, market opportunities and breed potentials 3.1.5. Analysis of causes of yield gaps through modeling; and identification of interventions to overcome such gaps in major staple crops, including policy implications
	Theme 3.2. Diversification
	Market-oriented income diversification and livelihood improvement from alternative crops and livestock systems, and adding value to primary products
	Sub-Themes
	3.2.1. Market-driven options for crop diversification considering crop and forage rotation strategies, involving alternative winter crops and summer crops/forages with supplemental irrigation; and also high-value options: vegetables, dryland fruit trees, medicinal and aromatic plants, development of plant-based and livestock-based products. In this area, ICARDA's role will be that of an information/best practice broker, and a collaborator with centers of excellence in horticulture 3.2.2. Market-driven options for livestock diversification through range/crop/forage integration; utilization of native livestock breeds; and capturing opportunities offered by safe peri-urban production 3.2.3. Options for further income generation through value addition of primary livestock products; options for producing high quality, hygienic and safe products; improved market information, access and transactions; and appropriate institutional organizations including the private sector and supporting policies

Targets
Higher income for rural communities and sustainable use of natural resources, particularly biodiversity and water resources, derived from intensified/diversified integrated crop/rangeland/livestock production systems. These will all be developed through methodologies that focus on the farm community with participatory and gender-sensitive approaches, and appropriate institutional and policy options.

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Research Program 4. Social, Economic and Policy Research (SEPR)
Rationale
Poverty in all its dimensions-economic, nutritional and natural resource-is widespread in the non-tropical dry areas. The rural population is largely dependent on agriculture, and faces a number of environmental trends converging towards greater stress, which will reduce options, drive migration and threaten the natural resource base, particularly in the most marginalized areas (e.g., mountains and desert margins). A deeper understanding of the typology and the determinants of this poverty, and of the livelihood strategies adopted by rural communities, is necessary to continually refine the targeting of ICARDA's research, enhance and track its impact, and identify pathways out of poverty. The gender nature of agricultural production will influence research and approaches to defining pro-poor interventions.

Despite some economic growth in some dry areas (e.g., in national GDP and cereal production during the last five decades), data show that poverty is increasing. Poverty-targeted research programs and policies are needed to achieve sustainable reductions in poverty. While poverty is a real problem in dry areas, a significant portion of the non-poor population is also vulnerable to lapsing into poverty, given the region's variable and changing climate, and its geopolitical volatility. Countries experiencing natural and man-made disasters (drought, conflict) or in economic transition (e.g., Central Asia and the Caucasus) have experienced dramatic increases in poverty rates over relatively short periods of time.

The poorest and most vulnerable communities tend to be associated with marginal production environments in rural areas. New technologies, policies and institutional options compatible with the marginal and risky environments of dry areas are challenging to develop, and constitute an evident priority for ICARDA. Identifying small farmers' constraints to technology adoption continues to be a priority research issue.

	Theme 4.1. Economics and Policy Research
	Enabling policy and institutional options to enhance the uptake and impact of improved technologies and optimize the sustainable use of scarce water resources. This includes assessing the impact of research investment in agricultural and natural resources on poverty, food security and the environment. Sub-Themes 4.1.1. Analysis of policy and institutional options and development of priorities for public investment to improve rural livelihoods 4.1.2. Development of policy options for sustainable use of water and land resources and their economic and social implications 4.1.3. Adoption and impact assessment for technology uptake including analysis of adoption constraints 4.1.4. Identification of the trade-offs associated with alternative technical and policy options 4.1.5. Valuation of natural resources and environmental services to facilitate the conservation of the natural resource base 4.1.6. Options for linking small farmers to markets along the value chain
	Theme 4.2. Livelihoods
	Evaluation of agri-based pathways out of rural poverty through the characterization of livelihood strategies, social networks, institutions, and economic options.
	Sub-Themes
	4.2.1. Quantification of the causes of rural poverty and determinants of rural livelihood strategies in the dry areas including interactions of agri-systems with other livelihood and socio-economic priorities 4.2.2. Characterization of the role of women in rural livelihoods; assessing the impact of gender constraints (and empowerment of women) on livelihoods 4.2.3. Analysis of impacts of intensification and diversification of production system options on livelihood, nutrition, and health

Targets
Improved rural livelihoods through development of enabling policy and institutional options and priorities for public investment in dry areas. To achieve sustainable impact, policy and institutional options developed to enhance the uptake of technological options by end-users.

Livelihoods characterized, strategies identified, causes and determinants of poverty quantified, including interactions of agricultural options for better livelihood opportunities for rural communities in dry areas. Technological, institutional and policy options developed to improve rural livelihoods.

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For more information, click Medium-Term Plan 2008 -2010

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