CIAT Annual Report 2018
The Alliance
CIAT-Bioversity Alliance reaches major milestones
Today’s global challenges of poverty, malnutrition, climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss call for new solutions, innovations, and stronger partnerships that can deliver higher impact. To respond to these challenges, and building on their complementary mandates and long collaboration, in 2018, Bioversity International and CIAT committed to joining forces to create an Alliance.
This Alliance will deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Together, we will contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change – among other international accords – under one vision and mission.
In November 2018, Juan Lucas Restrepo was appointed the incoming Director General of Bioversity International (March 2019) and CEO of this exciting new Alliance. This Alliance was described by Juergen Voegele, Senior Director, Agriculture Global Practice, World Bank Group, and Chair of the CGIAR System Council, as “More than historic, and more than heroic.” He added that global partners, both in the public and private sectors, are taking notice of the importance of systems approaches in the food and agriculture sphere, which is where the Alliance will add its unique value.
We feel honored as well as highly committed to helping our Alliance reach its full potential.
Today’s global challenges call for new solutions, innovations, and stronger partnerships
Working with local, national, and international partners from the public and private sectors, the Alliance will generate science-based evidence and promote the mainstreaming of innovations into large-scale programs, building from our global presence and hubs in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. This will allow us to increase the impact of our research.
In November 2018, the two organizations held their first joint Board of Trustees meeting, where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the Alliance.
The Alliance will have one Board of Trustees, one common Strategy and Results Framework, as well as harmonized support services that improve our effectiveness and reduce transactions costs.
Bioversity International and CIAT wish to thank the World Bank, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, for hosting important dialogues in 2018 that nurtured the process. We also thank the CGIAR System Management Office for their guidance and encouragement as we chart new territory. We have achieved a lot, but much more remains to be done. In 2019, we will continue looking to our strategic partners to support our work in building the Alliance.
The Alliance will generate science-based evidence and innovations for large-scale programs in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America
Ruben Echeverría
Director General, International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Juan Lucas Restrepo
Director General, Bioversity International
CEO-Designate, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
@jlucasrestrepo
Our Vision
Food systems and landscapes that sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people
Our Mission
We deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives
