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NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT RESEARCH IN THE CGIAR: THE ROLE OF THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2005

R. R. HARWOOD ,
A. H. KASSAM ,
H. M. GREGERSEN  and
E. FERERES
R. R. HARWOOD
Affiliation:
CGIAR interim Science Council, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), via delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome-00100, Italy Current address: 5992 Wynn Jones Road, Port Orchard, Washington 98366, USA.
A. H. KASSAM
Affiliation:
CGIAR interim Science Council, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), via delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome-00100, Italy
H. M. GREGERSEN
Affiliation:
CGIAR interim Science Council, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), via delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome-00100, Italy Current address: P.O. Box 498, Solvang, California 93463, USA.
E. FERERES
Affiliation:
CGIAR interim Science Council, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), via delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome-00100, Italy Current address: Instituto de Agricultura Sostensible, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Alameda del Obispo, s/n, Apartado 4084, 14080 Cordoba, Spain.
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Abstract

Judicious management of our natural resources is a major pillar of sustainable agriculture, broadly defined. It is, therefore, unfortunate that, until now, research in natural resources management (NRM) has not received sufficient support, or the recognition that other agricultural research topics have had. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) recognized, early on, the complementarities and synergies between NRM research and other themes, notably genetic improvement, and its research Centres have pursued some vigorous programmes for many years. The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to the CGIAR was supportive of such programmes from the start and provided advice to the CGIAR System on NRM research strategies. Highlights of such advice over the last 20 years are discussed, including the ecoregional approach, the 1996 study of Priorities and Strategies for Soil and Water Research, and the CGIAR Vision and Strategy of 2000. Recent developments at the Centres leading to the promotion of integrated approaches to NRM (INRM) are described, and a set of priority areas in INRM research for future CGIAR activities is presented.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , January 2005 , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

Created in 1971, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) or the CGIAR System is an association of more than 50 public and private sector Members that support a System of 15 international agricultural research Centres. Membership includes developing and industrialized countries, private foundations, and regional and international organizations. World Bank, FAO, UNDP and IFAD serve as Co-sponsors. The CGIAR established a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in 1971 to advise the CGIAR on priorities and strategies, and monitor and evaluate the performance of the CGIAR supported Centres. TAC was transformed into an interim Science Council on 1 January 2002, and into Science Council on 1 January 2004.
Based on the papers (TAC, 2001a and 2001b) prepared by the authors for and discussed by the CGIAR Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in September 2001, CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia. TAC (2001a) paper was also presented at the Workshop on Integrated Management for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 28–31 August 2001, CIAT, Cali, Colombia.