Page 16 - CGIAR AR 2023 - Printable Med Res

Man holding sugar beet seeds in Teba before planting
Photo: Hamish John Appleby, IWMI

Central and West Asia and North Africa

(CWANA)

Due to the invaluable guidance from our key partners and donors, in 2023 we reshaped our
strategic vision to better tackle CWANA’s climate-driven challenges through ICARDA’s 2030 Research
and Innovation Strategy. This aligns ICARDA’s objectives with the CGIAR 2030 global strategy and
integrates exciting new agri-innovations and digital technologies, including AI, genome editing, and
carbon capture.

Meanwhile, despite ongoing conflicts in Palestine and Sudan that hinder the development of
resilient food systems in CWANA, stakeholder collaboration continues to strengthen CGIAR’s impact
across the region and beyond. Our partnership with the African Development Bank on the TAAT
project boosted wheat yields across Africa, and our work with FAO provides vital crop
evapotranspiration data to farmers worldwide. We also celebrated a decade of collaboration on the
ICARDA/INRA-Maroc Rainfed Research Platform by releasing six new drought-resistant CGIAR crops
in Morocco, which have since garnered interest as far as Italy.

At COP28 in the UAE, we heard inspiring feedback from our dedicated partners on how CGIAR’s
work continues to change lives in the region. As CGIAR Regional Director for CWANA, I eagerly look
forward to supporting Azerbaijan’s preparations for COP29.

Overall, we are immensely proud and encouraged to lead CGIAR’s science outcomes and impacts in
the CWANA and Middle East region, all of which are made possible through the dedication and
contribution of our valued partners.

CGIAR Annual Report 2023 16