ICARDA Strategic Plan 2017 - 2026

Abstract

This document presents the Strategic Plan of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas for the period from 2017 to 2026. ICARDA’s mission is to enhance food, water, and nutritional security and environmental health in the face of global challenges, including climate change. Through preparedness for change and productivity gains in the rural economy, ICARDA will contribute to poverty reduction and social stability as our overarching goal. Innovative science, partnerships for impact, capacity development, and a fit-for-purpose organization are our tools. Our Strategic Plan aligns with the CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework and eight of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 1, No Poverty; Goal 2, Zero Hunger; Goal 3, Good Health; Goal 5, Gender Equality; Goal 6, Clean Water and Sanitation; Goal 13, Climate Action; Goal 15, Life on Land; and Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals. It addresses the significant challenges facing the world’s non-tropical dry areas: rising temperatures, critical water scarcity, fragile natural resources, and an insecure food and nutritional future under often-unstable social conditions. We have listened to our partners in the national agricultural research systems, and we will take the experience of years of consultations and cooperation forward into the next decade. Our staff have been invaluable in this process, along with our sister CGIAR centers and other partners. We are confident that the Strategic Research Priorities we have identified build on the knowledge and strengths of ICARDA and our partners and will produce the greatest impact, leaving an enduring legacy that will help rural communities in dry areas to weather future shocks, especially the impacts of climate change. To ensure that ICARDA’s research generates evidence-based science, technological innovation, policy dialogue, and knowledge sharing, thereby improving policies, practices, and livelihoods for rural communities and supporting agricultural transformation for future generations that harnesses the enormous potential of dry areas, we will abide by our core values of integrity and high ethical standards and hold ourselves accountable for our actions. ICARDA’s Strategic Plan is a living, dynamic, and evolving partnership approach that can proactively adapt to the constantly changing environment and the needs and priorities of rural communities. ICARDA will continue to adapt and evolve, responding nimbly to changes in the development landscape and the challenges faced in the regions where ICARDA works.