The Arab Fund and ICARDA Joining forces for resilient dryland livelihoods under a climate crisis

Abstract

Impacts of Arab Fund support: Highlights Impact on national and institutional capacities * 17,332 national scientists trained in dryland research since 1978. * AFESD-ICARDA Fellowship Program: 40 MSc and 62 PhD students since 2012—over half women. * Advanced biotechnology research capacity strengthened in 10 Arab states. * Partnerships between ICARDA and national research programs widened and strengthened. Impact on productivity and rural incomes, and the efficient management of scarce resources * 10% of Egypt’s total wheat area—125,000 hectares—using improved mechanized production technologies, saving 25% of water and increasing yields by 30%. * In the Arabian Peninsula, improved technologies for greenhouse production of high-value crops reduce the use of limited groundwater resources by 200–300%, increasing yields by 30–80%. Improved production of forages reduces water use by 50% and increases the production of feed by threefold. Impact at scale: Technology transfer and adoption by farmers * A community-based approach to drylands development, involving agreed Community Development Plans, was piloted with 12 communities in eight Arab countries. Besides benefiting the communities involved, the approach was subsequently adopted by national development programs and international development agencies. * Hundreds of pilot testing and demonstration sites established across Arab countries provide the basis for further out-scaling of results through farmer-to-farmer extension. * Farmers received essential guidance in producing improved seed varieties, reducing the constraints of shortages of certified seed, and fast-tracking their distribution. Impact on policymakers * Introduction of policies and incentive measures to drive widespread adoption of ICARDA technologies. * As a result of subsidies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), more than 1,500 farmers have adopted ICARDA recommended greenhouse production practices. * Egypt launched a national campaign to expand wheat production using ICARDA recommended technologies. By 2023, more than 800,000 hectares of wheat in Egypt are expected to be produced using ICARDA innovations resulting in increased net returns of US$4.5 billion that benefit over one million farmers.