Major Scientific Achievements in and beyond the CGIAR in Latin

America and the Caribbean;Reflections and Lessons

Science ForumCGIAR Annual General Meeting

December 4, 2007, Beijing, China

Jesus Moncada de la Fuente

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Reflections and Lessons

Agricultural research achievements Today’s challenge: to satisfy news

demand for a more diverse, holistic and complex research agenda

The evolution of research institutions and policy

Public awareness and support

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Latin America and the Caribbean

(LAC)• The region has a rich tradition of

agricultural innovations, dating back to Pre-Columbian times.

• Today, public and private institutions continue to do research and transfer technology.

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Latin America: The cradle of the CGIAR Systemradle of the CGIAR System

In 1943, Mexico & the Rockefeller Foundation created the Office of Special Studies (OEE).

In the 1950s the OEE’s success fostered the creation of National Institutes for Agricultural Research in Mexico and other LAC countries.

And inspired the foundation of IRRI & CIMMYT, and ultimately of the CGIAR system.

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The Shuttle Breeding Strategy Used Mexico’s diverse ecological regions to apply strong selection pressure to wheat lines.

Resulted in varieties with wide global adaptation, which India, Pakistan, and others used successfully.

By 1950, Mexico was self-sufficient in wheat.

The Green RevolutionGreen Revolution had begun.

Source: Agricultural Research in “El Horno – CEVAMEX”. Where it all began. An Overview, México. INIFAP. Special Issue. No. 2. September 2004.

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Human capital was developed

Shuttle breeding required scientists to travel to various breeding sites to track progress in wheat line selections.

The personal sacrifice produced gratifying rewards.

A new World-SystemWorld-System was being built, combining international collaboration,

applied science, and training.

Source: Agricultural Research in “El Horno – CEVAMEX”. Where it all began. An Overview, México. INIFAP. Special Issue. No. 2. September 2004.

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The Initial Objective: Food Security

The National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) put science to work from the start:

They targeted staple crops, and focused on improving yields and quality through plant breeding, and better management practices;

Genetic resistance to pests and disease reduced the need for purchased inputs;

Scientists and producers collaborated on staple crop breeding strategies.

Access to free, improved germplasm and toolsdeveloped by CIMMYT, CIAT, CIP & other CGIARcenters contributed to NARIs achievements.

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Soil and water constraints were addressed

Soil acidity is a widespread characteristic ofhigh rainfall areas of Latin America’s tropics.

Improved maize varieties, tolerant of high aluminum concentrations, were developed.

So were water and fertilizer-efficient staple crop varieties.

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Soil Erosion

To manage its soil’s sustainably, Latin America must reduce soil erosion and the accelerated loss of soil organic matter.

Reduced or zero tillage practices have been developed or adapted to local conditions.

A wealth of soil biology / fertility knowledge has been acquired along with rational, cost effective, inorganic and organic fertilizer practices.

Green manures and more effective legume inoculants for atmospheric nitrogen fixation have been adopted.

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Integrated Pest Management

National and international centers have developed and promoted Integrated Pest Management systems (IPM):

A cost effective, environmentally sensitive approach, IPM is less hazardous to humans and environments.

Staple and industrial crops, fruits, vegetables and export oriented commodities, as well as livestock and forestry have benefited.

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Agricultural Innovation outside the CGIAR

• Local public & private programs have generated or imported technologies for non-CGIAR priority crops, such as, sugarcane, coffee, cacao, cotton, fruits & vegetables.

• Private industry has developed transgenic varieties (gmos) in such crops as, soybeans, cotton, canola & vegetable seeds.

Public & private sector collaboration is a welcome challenge in LAC.

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Technological Spillovers• In Latin America’s southern cone

high growth commodities like: soybeans, chicken, beef, and biofuels have benefited from technological spillovers.

• They also benefited from innovations generated locally by public and private organizations.

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Assessing the Achievements

LAC successfully generated and adapted science based technological innovations that contributed greatly to agricultural productivity.

However, There were marked regional differencesregional differences. The achievements carried significant

environmental and social costsenvironmental and social costs. The main beneficiaries were mediummedium and

largelarge, market-oriented producers, particularly the better equippedequipped and organizedorganized.

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More conscious of health and environmental issues and social inequities, today’s society has new expectations and demands that call for a more complex and holistic agenda. The NARIs are not yet fully satisfying

these new demands.To do so, the NARIs must find ways to

reconcile apparently conflicting objectives:

Competitiveness and sustainability Social and cultural inclusion

Society’s New Demands

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Strategic objectives for Latin America’s NARIs

The region needs research strategies and innovations that:

Favor minimum input, environmentally sensitive, equitable, and agroecological approaches.

Respond to the need of specific commodities, production systems, and water basins.

Help to increase agricultural products’ value added.

Support market and subsistence - oriented production systems and new, high-value, export-oriented agricultural products.

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Latin America’s Regional

Research Agendas To satisfy the new public demand, Latin

America must produce regionally relevant public goods, specifically addressing,

Food safety Nutrition / health Plant and animal health Water efficiency Biodiversity Waste & Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) Air Pollution

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Global Environmental Concerns

Several issues—shared globally— add to the complexity of such a new agenda:

Deterioration of the natural resource base Global warming A looming energy crisis

Such a complex agenda will test regional and global solidarity.

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Inter-Institutional Cooperation

No NARI has the capacity to tackle such a diverse agenda alone.

Society could benefit from better coordinated research initiatives and inter institutional synergies.

This can be done through existing organizations and networks at the national, sub-regional, regional and continental levels.

The evolution of research institutions and policy

Innovation and participatory development strategies

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From NARIs to NARSs

The current trend for NARIs to evolve into National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) is commendable. It deserves strong public and private support.

Participatory development networks, organized by commodity, food or agro-industries, or water basin, should be encouraged.

Innovative participatory technology transfer strategies, should be supported.

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Based on Producers’ Opinions … Technology is not the only factor limiting

agricultural productivity and sustainability.

Experience suggests that innovation is also needed in: marketing, credit, infrastructure, producer organizations, and education.

Generating such innovations and participatory development strategies requires concerted efforts by governments and communities.

Public and Private Sector Interaction

Public–Private Hybrid Organizations

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Mexico’s Fundación ProduceFundación Produce Model This institutional innovation in Mexico speaks for

a vital stakeholder base with a strong political voice in support of agricultural research and technology transfer.

ProduceProduce has supported the transformation of public agricultural research organizations and influenced the design and realization of agricultural research and innovation policies.

Over the last ten years Fundación Produce Fundación Produce hasinfluenced relations between producers and the

federal and state governments.

Source: Ekboir, J.M, et al, 2006. Las Fundaciones Produce a diez años de su creación: pensando en el futuro. Informe Final de Evaluación. International Food Policy Research Institute. (IFPRI). Coordinadora Nacional de las Fundaciones Produce. (COFUPRO A.C.) México D.F.

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Public Awareness Improved dialogue between NARIs and

its greater constituency is needed to create and improve awareness of the economic, social and ecological impacts of agricultural research.

Transparency and accountability should guide the interaction.

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Key Considerations in Designing Agricultural Research Strategy

for the Future

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Latin America’s challenge: A pro - poor agricultural research

agenda

Agricultural research has alleviated some rural and urban poverty by lowering food prices and increasing wages & employment in the nonagricultural sector, however,

It has not eradicated poverty, which may be worsening as markets liberalize and agriculture’s importance diminishes relative to other sectors.

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Latin America’s challenge: A pro - poor agricultural research

agenda • “Until recently reducing poverty was a

secondary goal of agricultural research”.• “The primary focus was on increasing food

supplies and reducing food prices”.• “This was often good news for the poor, as

increased productivity lowered food prices and more jobs, cutting poverty significantly”

• “However, benefits did not materialize for all poor people, and some indigent people were negatively impacted”

Source: Meinzen-Dick, R., M.Adato, L.Haddad and Source: Meinzen-Dick, R., M.Adato, L.Haddad and P.Hazell. Science and Poverty. An Interdisciplinary P.Hazell. Science and Poverty. An Interdisciplinary Assesment of the Impact of Agricultural Research. Assesment of the Impact of Agricultural Research. Washington, D.C. IFPRI.2004Washington, D.C. IFPRI.2004

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• Is it fair to expect scientists incorporate equity into an already complex research agenda?

• Or to blame them when apparently scale-neutral technology benefits large farmers or rich consumers due to government policies they don’t control.

• Nickel (1989) postulates that “research policy and strategy can be designed in a manner so the benefits contribute to poverty alleviation”.

A Query…

Source: Nickel, J. L. 1989. Research Management for Development. Open Letter to a New Agricultural Research Director. . Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura. IICA. San José de Costarica.

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Stable Production as a Pro-poor Strategy

“Pro poor agricultural researchers must look beyond simply boosting productivity.”

“Stable yields for example, may actually be more important to farmers than higher but more variable yields (Mexico’s case) as they make people less vulnerably economically.”

“By breeding new crop varieties –such as those resistant to drought, flooding, and pests– agricultural researchers may reduce farmers’ vulnerability to climatic and biological shocks.”

Source: Bellon, M.R. 2003. Métodos de investigación participativa para evaluar tecnologías: Manual para científicos que trabajan con agricultores. Mexico, D.F. CIMMYT.

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Agricultural Research is No Silver Bullet

Agricultural research by itself cannot solve all the socio-economical problems and inequities plaguing the rural sector.

However, More sharply focused research strategies

can be designed to contribute to the alleviation of poverty and/or its negative consequences.

Latin America’s challenge: a pro-poor agricultural research agenda

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A New Green Revolution ?• New developments in molecular biology,

nanotechnology, bioinformatics etc, offer new opportunities to solve problems in Latin America.

• However, such Hi-Tech endeavours are associated with high costs and a high degree of privatization and patenting.

• The large commercial Hi-Tech companies will probably focus on crops and animal products with large markets.

A Trust Fund is needed to finance frontier knowledge utilization…Regional and global solidarity will be tested

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Funding for research in Latin America is declining

Since the mid-1980s, budget restricting macro-economic and sector-specific policies have limited public funds for R&D;

The LAC region currently invests less than 0.5% of its total agricultural income in R&D, well below what is advisable;

Richer countries have better research intensity ratios; smaller and poorer countries are slipping behind.

Source: Hertford, R., P.G. Pardey and S.R. Wood. 2004. A Strategic Look at

Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean: Prospects for Research and

Development. IFPRI. BID. FONTAGRO.

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Returns on Agricultural R&D Agricultural research is one of the best

investments for developing countries to meet their goals. Returns on agricultural R&D investment in

LAC and elsewhere have been high, suggesting that more, not less, funding for research is indicated.

A concerted commitment by government and society is required to fund agricultural research more adequately.

Source: Hertford, R., P.G. Pardey and S.R. Wood. 2004. A Strategic Look at Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean: Prospects for Research and Development. IFPRI. BID. FONTAGRO.

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FONTAGRO

Launched in 1998, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank.

A unique strategy created by LAC countries to finance technology development for the rural sector.

A praiseworthy initiative.

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In Conclusion1- Revalue Agriculture and the Rural 1- Revalue Agriculture and the Rural

SpaceSpace Societies and governments face the

challenge of recognizing that agriculture and the rural environment are not only engines, for economic development that generate employment, income, and social stability.

They also play other roles essential for the quality of both rural and urban life, such as helping to maintain ecological balances and providing opportunities for recreation.

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In Conclusion

2 - Agriculture concerns society as a 2 - Agriculture concerns society as a wholewhole

Agricultural problems concern not only producers, but society as a whole.

The current rural-urban interface is unbalanced, unequal and ecologically unsustainable.

Agriculture and the rural–urban space deserve to be holistically developed, given their decisive influence on the wellbeing of present and future generations.

Thank You !

moncadaj@prodigy.net.mx