Developing countries, CGIAR, Food prices, Poverty reduction, Hunger, Agricultural research, food security, Environment, Agricultural innovation, Agricultural development, Climate change, Agricultural biodiversity,

Fan, Shenggen

Meinzen-Dick, Ruth

Pratt, Alejandro Nin

Rosegrant, Mark W.

von Braun, Joachim

English

Research Papers in Economics

  Joachim von Braun, Shenggen Fan, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, 
Mark W. Rosegrant, and Alejandro Nin Pratt
INTERNATIONAL FOOD
POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty
Supported by the CGIAR
T
he recent food crisis, combined with the energy crisis and emerging climate 
change issues, threatens the livelihoods of millions of poor people as well as the 
economic, ecological, and political situation in many developing countries. on top 
of these crises, the decades of shrinking global investment in agricultural research are 
leading to slower growth in agricultural productivity. Progress in achieving development 
goals—such as cutting hunger and poverty in half by 2015—has been delayed significantly.  
In fact, the number of hungry people actually increased by at least 75 million from 2004 to 
2007 and probably by even more in 2008. Investment potential in developing-country 
agriculture is improving, but realizing this potential requires policy action.
INteRNAtIoNAl AGRICultuRAl ReSeARCh 
FoR FooD SeCuRItY, PoveRtY ReDuCtIoN, 
AND the eNvIRoNMeNt
What to Expect from Scaling Up CGIAR Investments and “Best Bet” Programs
IFPRI Issue Brief 53 • October 2008   
ConsultAtive Group 
on internAtionAl 
AGriCulturAl reseArCh3
A
ddressing these challenges will require the world to  
  develop a more productive and sustainable food and  
    agricultural system. More and more experts and 
policymakers agree that investment in agriculture and in 
related, research-based innovations must be accelerated. The 
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research 
(CGIAR) is particularly well positioned to contribute to the 
global effort to foster sustainable food production, increase 
access to food, and reduce poverty and hunger in rural and 
urban areas. Its 15 international research centers generate 
publicly available research on everything from dryland and 
tropical agriculture, to livestock, to agroforestry, to water 
management and fisheries. They have decades of experi-
ence in agricultural research and participate in a worldwide 
network of partnerships. The CGIAR is now redesigning its 
structure and organization to address these global challenges, 
but it also requires increased funding.
MeasUring the Benefits of 
agricultural 
research
On behalf of the CGIAR, the International Food Policy Re-
search Institute (IFPRI) considered the impact of doubling 
spending on agricultural research and development (R&D). 
Researchers found that increasing investments in public agri-
cultural research from about US$4.6 billion to US$9.3 billion 
(including an increase in CGIAR investment from US$0.5 to 
US$1.0 billion) would significantly raise agricultural output 
and reduce poverty.
The exact numbers would depend on how investments 
were allocated. Targeting new resources toward maximizing 
total agricultural output, which would reduce global food 
price increases, would mean allocating more to East and 
Southeast Asia. This approach would raise agricultural output 
growth from 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points a year. Such an 
increase in agricultural growth is highly significant and would 
reduce the number of people living on less than US$1 a day 
by 204 million by 2020. If, on the other hand, expanded in-
vestments were targeted toward maximizing poverty reduc-
tion, relatively more would need to be spent on Sub-Saharan 
Africa and South Asia. Overall agricultural growth would in-
crease from 0.5 to 1.1 percentage points a year and lift about 
282 million people out of poverty by 2020.  
Greater agricultural research investments would also 
help avert future food crises by significantly reducing food 
prices. Researchers modeled the effects of high investments 
in agricultural R&D on food prices and found that such 
investments could reduce the price of maize by 67 percent in 
2025, wheat by 56 percent, and rice by 45 percent, while also 
reducing farmers’ unit costs of production.
“Best Bets”   for cgiar 
investments
How can agricultural research investments achieve these goals? 
Scientists and research leaders have produced an illustrative list of 
“best bets” for CGIAR investments in coming decades that would 
produce the greatest share of sustainable poverty reduction. This 
list is neither comprehensive nor complete but indicative. It shows 
key examples of promising investments and their likely impact, 
grouped according to the CGIAR’s three strategic objectives, and 
they build upon the CGIAR’s past contributions and successes in 
combating hunger and poverty through agricultural research.
FooD FoR PeoPle: Create and accelerate 
sustainable increases in productivity and 
production of healthy food by and for the poor
Increasing agricultural productivity, not only to raise farmers’ 
incomes but to ensure affordable food for growing urban 
populations, is one of the main tasks of the CGIAR and 
its partners. Achieving this goal is becoming more difficult 
in many areas where the land and water resource base is 
under pressure and where climatic fluctuations and pests or 
diseases threaten production. “Best bets” for CGIAR invest-
ments in this area focus on increasing the productivity of 
crop and livestock systems, reducing biotic and abiotic stress, 
and improving the nutritional quality of food.
Revitalizing yield growth in the intensive cereal  •	
systems of Asia—In the 1990s the growth of cereal 
yields in Asia stalled, setting the stage for the higher 
food prices. Investments in improving and promoting 
agronomic practices such as improved seed handling, land 
leveling, water-saving technologies, reduced tillage, and 
postharvest processing can raise yields by 1 to 2 metric 
tons per hectare and significantly reduce postharvest 
losses. total investment: uS$150 million. People 
reached: more than 3 billion.
ensuring productive and resilient small-scale  •	
fisheries—Small-scale fisheries provide two-thirds 
of the global fish catch and more than 95 percent of 
employment in fisheries. Sustaining and enhancing 
small-scale fisheries calls for investments in improving 
governance, processing and marketing procedures and 
technologies, quality control, and fishers’ knowledge of 
business development. total investment: uS$73.5 
million. People reached: 32 million.
Controlling wheat rust— •	 An estimated 90–95 percent 
of global wheat area is susceptible to a new stem-rust 
(or its variants) that has emerged in the past decade. 
Combating the infestation requires monitoring its spread 
for early warning and potential chemical interventions, 
screening released varieties and germplasm for 
resistance, distributing sources of resistance worldwide, 4
and breeding to incorporate diverse resistance genes 
into high-yielding adapted cultivars and new germplasm 
to reduce potential losses. total investment: uS$37.5 
million. People reached: 2.88 billion.
Developing and disseminating a vaccine for  •	
prevention of east Coast Fever in cattle—In 
many African countries, East Coast Fever is the most 
economically devastating cattle disease, leading to losses 
that exceed US$200 million annually. A successful vaccine 
could increase milk yields and meat production while 
also generating environmental benefits by eliminating 
chemicals used in combating the disease. total 
investment: uS$10.5 million. People reached:  
20 million, with additional indirect effects on 
many more.
Developing and disseminating drought-tolerant  •	
maize in Africa—In many parts of Africa, recurrent 
droughts limit maize production. Although drought-
tolerant maize cultivars have been shown to raise yields 
dramatically, more research and vigorous promotion 
are essential to further improve yields and ensure 
widespread adoption of drought-tolerant cultivars. Many 
countries also require the establishment of effective 
seed systems. total investment: uS$100 million in 
20 countries. People reached: 320 million, with 
additional indirect effects on many more.
Scaling up biofortification— •	 An estimated 2 billion 
people in the developing world suffer from mineral and 
vitamin deficiencies, which lower disease resistance, 
increase mortality, compromise cognitive development, 
stunt growth, and lower work productivity. The 
HarvestPlus Challenge Program seeks to develop and 
distribute varieties of food staples that are high in iron, 
zinc, and provitamin A. total investment: uS$125 
million. People reached: up to 672 million.
eNvIRoNMeNt FoR PeoPle: Conserve, 
enhance, and sustainably use natural resources 
and biodiversity to improve the livelihoods of the 
poor and respond to climate change
Natural resource management practices can reduce agricul-
tural production costs and the use of inputs such as fertil-
izers and irrigation. With rising fertilizer and energy prices, 
these savings are especially important for the poor. Research 
on neglected and underutilized species can broaden the food 
base. “Best bets” for CGIAR investments in this area are 
focused on mitigating climate change, increasing the resilience 
of agro-ecosystems (including climate change adaptation), and 
increasing the efficiency of water use, which is particularly 
important for North Africa and West and Central Asia, for 
instance.
Increasing carbon sequestration and the  •	
livelihoods of forest people—Negotiations toward 
a post-2012 climate governance regime have brought 
reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation 
to the center of the international agenda. Research 
is required, however, to produce standardized, widely 
accepted, credible, and scientifically sound methodologies 
to measure and monitor reduced emissions from 
deforestation and other land-use change. total 
investment: uS$45 million. People reached: 
48 million people in poor, forest-dependent 
communities.
Conducting climate change and adaptation  •	
research—Research on climate change and adaptation 
is needed at global, regional, and national scales, 
examining agricultural production as well as forest 
systems. More information is required, for example, on 
potential climate change effects by region to identify the 
sectors most at risk and to develop gender-equitable 
agricultural adaptation and mitigation strategies. total 
investment: uS$127.5 million. People reached: 
1.18 billion.
Combining organic and inorganic nutrients for  •	
increased crop productivity—Combining organic 
nutrients with small doses of mineral fertilizer gives the 
highest yields and financial returns on maize and other 
cereal crops across a range of African sites. More work 
is needed, however, to identify the best-bet combinations 
for different ecological conditions and to ensure that 
smallholders and women farmers can obtain fertilizer. 
total investment: uS$55 million. People reached: 
400 million.
Promoting sustainable groundwater use in  •	
agriculture—Groundwater resources offer high 
productivity gains and some protection against climatic 
fluctuations. Hydrogeologic and economic analysis is 
needed to allow decisionmakers to sustainably develop 
groundwater in Sub-Saharan Africa and to mitigate the 
impacts of overuse in South, East, and West Asia and 
North Africa. total investment: uS$24 million. 
People reached: 261 million.
INNovAtIoN FoR PeoPle: Mobilize 
science and technology to stimulate institutional 
innovation and enabling policies for pro-poor 
agricultural growth and gender equity
Accelerating innovation and translating agricultural produc-
tion into food, nutrition, and livelihood security for the poor 
require the right institutions and policies. “Best bets” in this 
area focus on genetic resource management, strengthening 
markets, ensuring women’s participation in agriculture, and 
understanding the links between agriculture and health.
enhancing germplasm exchange— •	 Because of 
restrictive rules and technologies that prevent the 
reproduction of seeds, farmers’ ability to use plant CGIAR Centers: Africa Rice Center (WARDA), Bioversity International, CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical), 
CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research), CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo), CIP (Centro 
Internacional de la Papa), ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas), ICRISAT (International Crops 
Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute), IITA (International Institute of Tropical 
Agriculture), ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), IWMI (International Water 
Management Institute), World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and WorldFish Center.
Joachim von Braun is the director general of IFPRI. Shenggen Fan is the director of IFPRI’s Development Strategy and Governance Division 
(DSGD). Ruth Meinzen-Dick is a senior research fellow in IFPRI’s Environment and Production Technology Division (EPTD). Mark W. 
Rosegrant is the director of EPTD. Alejandro Nin Pratt is a DSGD research fellow. This brief is based on a booklet of the same title available at 
www.ifpri.org/pubs/books/oc58.asp.
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genetic resources for food and agriculture to improve 
agricultural production and enhance food security has 
been limited. Through the CGIAR Systemwide Genetic 
Resources Programme, CGIAR crop centers collaborate 
in implementing an international treaty that creates a 
common pool of plant genetic resources for food and 
agriculture, which is made freely available to all parties to 
the treaty for research and breeding. total investment: 
uS$15 million. People reached: global impact, 
with a focus in developing countries.
Improving market information and value chains— •	
Value chains involve a complex network of assemblers, 
brokers, wholesalers, processors, retailers, and exporters, 
all working within an environment of imperfect 
information. New information and communication 
technologies can help reduce the costs of linking buyers 
and sellers within the value chain, and improved market 
information systems can reduce agricultural marketing 
margins and price volatility and increase farm prices 
and marketed volumes. total cost: uS$10.5 million. 
People reached: 45 million.
ensuring women’s full participation in agricultural  •	
innovation—Women play a critical role in agriculture, 
and the food and income under their control are vital 
in meeting the basic needs of their families, but various 
barriers have prevented women from fully participating 
in highly productive agriculture. The CGIAR is working 
to ensure that women have secure access to land and 
other assets they need for agriculture, that agricultural 
research addresses women’s needs, that women are 
included in extension and innovation systems, and that 
they have access to postharvest processing and markets. 
total cost: uS$30 million. People reached: 200 
million.
Reducing the adverse effects of agriculture  •	
on health and improving the health benefits 
of agriculture for the poor—The CGIAR plays a 
leadership role in clarifying links between agriculture 
and health. Research in this area seeks to mitigate the 
negative effects of ill health on agricultural activities 
while maximizing opportunities for agriculture to benefit 
health and for better health to benefit agriculture. 
Research priorities include HIV/AIDS and agriculture; 
avian influenza, livelihoods, and food security; agriculture, 
nutrition, diet, and health; and food safety and growing 
food-supply chains. total cost: uS$75 million. People 
reached: global.
Unleashing   the Potential
The CGIAR has identified a strong set of research programs that 
could benefit billions of people, but progress is constrained by a 
lack of funds. The CGIAR’s “best bets” are only partially funded, 
and the centers’ heavy reliance on project-related funding reduces 
the efficiency of implementation because of a lack of continuity 
and staffing. With doubled funding, the centers could fully imple-
ment these and other “best bets” as well as the needed core 
activities of germplasm storage, maintenance breeding, and other 
essential support programs. They could also take advantage of 
expanding frontiers in agricultural science and policy, such as bio-
technology, information systems, and nanotechnology. The invest-
ments required are large by the standards of agricultural research 
but small compared with other general development investments. 
They are enormous, however, in terms of the number of people 
reached and the returns to investment—improved well-being for 
billions of people.

International agricultural research for food security, poverty reduction, and the environment: What to expect from scaling up CGIAR investments and “Best Bet” programs

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International agricultural research for food security, poverty reduction, and the environment: What to expect from scaling up CGIAR investments and “Best Bet” programs

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