Press release number: IFAD 10/06

Rome, 16 February 2006 - Advances in agricultural research have the potential to lift rural people out of poverty, if they are adapted to the specific needs of farmers, herders, fishers and other rural producers.

''Science and technology generate knowledge but knowledge doesn't necessarily create innovation. It must be appropriate and be part of an effective innovation system, said Rodney Cooke, director of the Technical Advisory Division at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as he opened a round-table discussion at IFAD's annual Governing Council meeting today.

Panellists at the discussion shared examples of innovations that were improving production, increasing incomes and conserving natural resources in the rural areas of the world.

The IFAD-supported Mashreq and Maghreb Project is exploring innovative ways of improving crop-livestock production systems in the fragile drylands of Central and Western Asia and North Africa. The project has discovered that a relatively small change in cropping practice can yield significant improvements. ''By rotating barley with forage legumes farmers reduce erosion and add fertility to soil through nitrogen fixation, explained Abdel El-Beltagy, Director-General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas.

In West Africa, agricultural research has led to the introduction of new rice varieties referred to as New Rice for Africa, or NERICA, combining the ruggedness of African varieties and the high yields of modern Asian ones. Through participatory approaches, farmers are learning about these new varieties and passing the knowledge on to others.

About 30,000 farmers in 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are using NERICA, many of them women who spend many hours planting, weeding and harvesting rice. ''NERICA has higher yields, and it's also higher in protein and reduces drudgery, meaning increased income and well-being for families, says Shellemiah Keya, Assistant Director General of research and development for the Africa Rice Center (WARDA).

But according to Keya, the needs of rural poverty are much greater. The challenge now for WARDA, IFAD and other partners supporting the programme is to scale up the use of NERICA even further, especially in eastern and southern Africa. This will also require improvements in seed production and distribution.

Innovations in poverty reduction sometimes come in the form of protecting natural resources. David Kaimowitz, Director-General of the Center for International Forestry Research in partnership with the World Agroforestry Centre is looking at novel ways of encouraging farmers to protect the environment - by rewarding them.

''Farmers told us they were willing to plant trees, conserve soil and provide other services that would benefit the environment, but they wanted to be compensated, said Kaimowitz. An IFAD-supported consortium is working on finding ways to provide farmers with payment for environmental services.

Sometimes the rewards can be financial. For example, communities in Indonesia and the Philippines are negotiating with a hydro-electric plant to receive profits in return for watershed management practices that conserve soil and water resources.

''But there are also other rewards like providing secure land tenure, giving access to credit or building organizations that allow rural poor people to negotiate their rights, said Kaimowitz.

These innovations are at an early stage, cautions Kaimowitz, and like all innovations, they hold a certain amount of risk. But they have a real potential to grow, he believes, especially considering increasing concerns about global warming.

IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries. Through low-interest loans and grants, it develops and finances projects that enable rural poor people to overcome poverty themselves. There are 185 ongoing IFAD-supported rural poverty eradication programmes and projects, totalling US$6.1 billion. IFAD has invested nearly US$2.9 billion in these initiatives. Cofinancing has been provided by governments, beneficiaries, multilateral and bilateral donors and other partners. At full development, these programmes will help nearly 80 million rural poor women and men to achieve better lives for themselves and their families. Since starting operations in 1978, IFAD has invested almost US$9.0 billion in 707 programmes and projects that have helped nearly 300 million poor rural men and women achieve better lives for themselves and their families. Governments and other financing sources in the recipient countries, including project participants, have contributed almost US$8.8 billion, and multilateral, bilateral and other donors have provided another US$7.0 billion in cofinancing.