Page 4 - CGIAR AR 2023 - Printable Med Res

Message from our leadership

Dear members of the CGIAR community,

During 2023, the challenges that shape CGIAR’s mission and strategy were all too present. Levels of
hunger and malnutrition continued to increase and temperatures rose, with 2023 the hottest year
on record. Extreme weather, conflict, environmental degradation – among other factors – affected

food, land, and water systems and the lives and livelihoods that depend on them.

But 2023 was also a year in which CGIAR and its valued partners around the world continued to
pioneer and deliver solutions addressing the most urgent challenges, while partnering to deliver
and scale impact. And we demonstrated the vital need for increased investment in agricultural
research.

The theme for the CGIAR 2023 Annual Report is nutrition, health, and food security, one of CGIAR’s
five Impact Areas. Highlighted in this year’s report, which showcases work from across our
integrated partnership, are many innovations and projects changing lives and delivering returns on
funder investments. We improved tilapia in Nigeria, advanced food system policy in Vietnam, and
boosted common bean access in Zambia — to name but a few key results.

This year’s report also profiles progress in two countries: Ghana and Guatemala, where we
achieved exceptional outcomes, particularly advancing their contribution to climate adaptation and
mitigation, improving food security for smallholder farmers and rural households.

We successfully launched our With Science We Can campaign and investment case at COP28 in the
United Arab Emirates, securing pledges of over $900 million. The investment case offers a clear
articulation of how, with the right funding, research and innovation can deliver food, nutrition and
climate security for all. This is supported by a recent study highlighting the return on investment in
CGIAR innovations, which reports that CGIAR-related crop technologies in developing countries
delivered an annual economic benefit of $47 billion, with a cumulative impact of $1,334 billion over
60 years.

We participated in major dialogues on the impact of climate change on agriculture, food security,
and food systems from the AIM4C Summit to Climate COP28, reaffirming the need for urgent action
to meet global targets, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

At the start of 2023 Prof Lindiwe Majele Sibanda took on the role of System Board Chair. Towards
the end of the year, we welcomed Dr Ismahane Elouafi as CGIAR Executive Managing Director,
joined soon after by Guillaume Grosso as Deputy Executive Managing Director. We thank Professor
Andrew Campbell and Dr Claudia Sadoff for ensuring a smooth transition throughout the year.

CGIAR Annual Report 2023 4