The CGIAR Consortium recently released its second annual CGIAR Research Programs (CRP) performance assessment report which took stock of CRP performance during 2012. According to the report, the first evidence of the CGIAR reform’s potential for improving scientific and development synergies within the system is becoming evident. Further, the overall picture emerging is of a CGIAR system that is well positioned to capture significant synergies, both within and across the CRPs, in a way that was not possible before the reform.

The report highlights significant achievements of the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish. In contributing to new technologies and improved practices, the program has made achievements in its genomics and breeding research areas. Through its aquaculture value chain work, the program reported an increase in release of numerous, improved and more resilient Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) strains of Nile tilapia, now widely used throughout Asia in countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, China and Malaysia. Achievements were also made in the animal health theme of the program through support to distribution of 178,000 doses of vaccine for East Coast fever (ECF) in the sub-Saharan Africa dairy value chains.

The multiplication and dissemination of the improved strains of Nile tilapia previously developed by WorldFish and partners in Ghana and Egypt from indigenous strains in 2012 by the program through local value chains in six different countries is among the effective scaling up of improved technologies examples mentioned in the report. According to the report, this is among scaling up examples indicating that the new CRP activities seem to produce more outputs and outcomes more rapidly than those pre-dating the CRPs.

Another significant achievement among the CRPs new ways of doing business with a potential for impact is the way the Livestock and Fish program is implementing its approach in the Tanzania dairy value chain. The approach is built upon stakeholder engagement and has contributed directly to the establishment of a Dairy Development Forum (DDF), subsequently endorsed by the Tanzania Dairy Board. ‘The Forum is an informal mechanism for both horizontal and vertical coordination to address systemic bottlenecks in the dairy sector. It comprises key public and private players and the Livestock and Fish program anticipates that the Forum may become a critical link in the CRP’s impact pathway.

The report showcases the promising synergy of collaboration between the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) on improved nutrition and health issues and the Livestock and Fish CRP as an indication that the consortium is well positioned to progress towards the System Level Outcome on better nutrition and health. Such scientific and development synergies that have become manifest within the CRPs have a significant potential to achieve impacts on food security, nutrition, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability.

Read more about CRP achievements: CRP Portfolio Annual Progress Report 2012

Download the Livestock and Fish program annual report