Unique process involves governments, private sector, and civil society from around the world

The World Bank today approved a $3 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant for the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), a unique global effort that will evaluate the relevance, quality, and effectiveness of agricultural science and technologies – from organic to indigenous and traditional practices, to biotechnology and transgenic approaches.

“Agriculture is vital for the health and well-being of the world’s poorest people,” said Robert T. Watson, World Bank Chief Scientist and Director of the IAASTD project, “seventy-five percent of whom live in rural areas. We need to make informed decisions now in order to meet the future needs of growing populations and changing diets, and to improve the health and well-being of poor people. These decisions must also protect the environment and ensure broad-based economic growth, as little in our lives would be the same without the agricultural products that nourish and enrich us.”

The IAASTD process brings together representatives from governments, UN agencies, the private sector, the scientific community, and civil society organizations from around the world to work together to give decision makers the tools and information they need to answer policy questions and to shape the future of agriculture.  Over 400 experts from around the world are involved in the preparation of the IAASTD, which will:

·            Analyze new and existing technologies, and their impact on development,

·            Highlight key uncertainties and risks, and

·            Point to where research and investment are most urgently needed.

“This additional support demonstrates the importance of agricultural science and technology for sustainable development. The international community, through UN agencies, the World Bank and the GEF, has been instrumental in supporting this innovative approach to increase knowledge about critical issues of the agricultural development agenda,” said Ian Johnson, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development.

The total cost of the global assessment amounts to $10.51 million, and it is financed through grant contributions from Australia, Canada, the European Commission, Finland, France, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, The World Bank, and the private sector (Crop Life International); as well as in-kind contributions by the co-sponsoring agencies – the United Nations Environment Program  (UNEP), UNESCO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Program  (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank.

While food production has more than doubled since the 1960’s, access to food – enough food, nutritious food, and affordable food – is the primary problem for nearly 800 million chronically undernourished people in the developing countries. In the next decades, food demand will double with the growing population and consumer preferences for vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, forest products and commodities are increasing. Today’s technologies are not available to meet the new demand and current production is already causing serious environmental damage, which may accelerate.

    The IAASTD will produce a global and five sub-global assessments (Sub-Saharan Africa; South and East Asia and the Pacific; Latin America and the Caribbean; Central and West Asia and North Africa; and North America and Europe) of the role of agricultural knowledge, science and technology in reducing hunger and poverty, improving rural livelihoods, ensuring human health, and facilitating equitable, environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable development; thus providing robust information for decision-making. 

The initial reports will be made public by end-2007.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a mechanism for providing new and additional grant and concessional funding to meet the agreed incremental costs of measures to achieve agreed global environmental benefits in the four focal areas – Climate change; Biological diversity; International waters; and Ozone layer depletion. GEF also supports the work of the global agreements to combat desertification and eliminate persistent organic pollutants.
 

The World Bank Group is one of GEF’s implementing agencies and supports countries in preparing GEF co-financed projects and supervises their implementation.    It plays the primary role in ensuring the development and management of investment projects. The Bank draws upon its investment experience in eligible countries to promote investment opportunities and to mobilize private sector, bilateral, multilateral, and other government and non-government sector resources that are consistent with GEF objectives and national sustainable development strategies. 
 

Since 1991, the World Bank Group has committed $1.972 billion in GEF resources and $3.037 billion in Bank group co-financing for GEF projects in 80 countries. In addition to GEF and Bank resources, it has mobilized additional co-financing of $6.952 billion from other donors.
 

For further information on Bank’s GEF program, visit http://www.worldbank.org/gef

For further information on GEF, visit http://www.gefweb.org