Research Need Assessment and Agricultural Research Priorities for South and West Asia: Proceedings of a Workshop held at ICRISAT, Patancheru 7-8 October 2004

Abstract

Despite the impressive gains in food production,food security, and reduction in rural poverty in South Asia in recent times, problems such as degradation of natural resources, water scarcity, and lowproductivity persist in the region. The threat of marginalization of agriculture and livelihoods of the poor looms large in South and West Asia, where agriculture is the dominant economic activity. The emerging global challenges, paucity of resources, and the need for greater and quicker impacts now compels organizations to prioritize research. Thisworkshop was organized as part of APAARI, ICRISAT, and ICAR's on going effort to establish ademand - driven research agenda based on a participatory approach.The objective was to identify research priorities based on gap analysis by national programs. Representatives of five South and West Asian countries (India,Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Iran), CGIAR institutes, donors, NGOs,farmer ssociations, agricultural universities, and the private sector presented their research needs and emerging challenges, on the basis of identified critical gaps and alternative approaches for addressing these. This book is acompilation of the country papers presented, and spells out specific priorities at macro-, meso-, and micro-levels under the broad themes of genetic improvement, natural resources management, and socioeconomic and policy research