CGIAR Researches Improving Livelihoods of Millions in Ethiopia: Agriculture State Minister

Addis Ababa March 31/2023(ENA) The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)’s game-changing research solutions have been improving millions of livelihoods across Ethiopia, according to Agriculture State Minister Fikru Regassa. 

Speaking at the launching of One CGIAR in Ethiopia (an integrated approach for the 11 international research centers Ethiopia hosts), the state minister said the Government of Ethiopia recognizes CGIAR’s role in transforming millions of households in the country.

As a host of CGIAR research centers here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has hugely benefited from agricultural researches undertaken by CGIAR, he added.

According to Fikru, CGIAR-related agricultural innovations between 1999 and 2019 alone have reached up to 79 percent of rural households in Ethiopia.

There have been at least 52 different innovations related to animal agriculture, crop germ plasm improvement, and natural resource management, it was learned.

Some 26 instances of policy influence have also been contributed by CGIAR’s research during this time.

Among these technologies, soil and water conservation innovations were adopted by 9.4 million households and about 4 million households use CGIAR-derived maize germ plasm. 

The state minister, who said that the Government of Ethiopia is working to transform the country’s agriculture by 2030, has asked the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to further boost its scientific contribution to the success of the government's 10-year agriculture plan.

ILRI Director General’s Representative to Ethiopia and CGIAR Country Convener, Namukolo Covic said CGIAR will not only continue and enhance alignment of its projects with government priority areas but also engage in forward thinking to address future challenges. 

 

The representative pointed out that Ethiopia’s successful wheat development strategy is a lesson for others. 

She further said that "working with our national and regional partners, we will explore lessons we can learn from the successful wheat development efforts of Ethiopia for other commodities and also look forward to preempting challenges that may need to be addressed for long term sustainability."

Recall that CGIAR had 11 international research centers in Ethiopia. In a bid to enhance synergies and avoid duplication of efforts and engage in assisting governments objectives in agriculture, CGIAR has transitioned to One CGIAR.