“Never before in history has agriculture been under such threat, and in such demand,” says Jonathan Wadsworth, Executive Secretary of the CGIAR Fund Council in an article in the Huffington Post.

Wadsworth outlines the immense challenge of increasing agricultural production to feed a growing population under climate change, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

“Without substantial investment in agricultural research, addressing these challenges will not only be difficult, but impossible,” he says.

The CGIAR aims to redouble its efforts to ramp up funding for research that focuses on finding solutions for poor farmers, fishers and foresters in developing countries. On 25 September 2104, the CGIAR Development Dialogues will focus on ‘Investing for Impact’ and invite a range of partners to join in these efforts.

Among the results of CGIAR research are climate-smart agroforestry technologies in the Sahel which integrate food crops with trees that draw nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the soil. This practice has increased harvests by up to 400 per cent for some farmers, while capturing carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The development of drought tolerant varieties of maize in Africa has increased farmers' yields by 20-30 percent, benefiting over 20 million people in 13 countries.

Wadsworth says further achievements will require collective action, pooled resources and strategic partnerships.

“By investing in and harnessing the power of cutting-edge agricultural science and technology, we can achieve a quantum leap forward in productivity and radically transform how our food is grown, safeguarding critical natural resources, reducing agriculture's environmental footprint, and lifting people out of poverty and hunger.”

Read the full story: Investing in the Future We Want