Reflections on CGIAR’s Week-Long Discussions on Food System Science

CGIAR Science Week closing plenary. Credit- Busani Bafana-IPS

By Joyce Chimbi

NAIROBI, Apr 11 2025 (IPS) - More than 13,600 participants from around the world registered for the inaugural CGIAR Science Week at the UN Complex, Nairobi, April 7-12, 2025. Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, the organization’s Executive Managing Director, said, “This is a testament that people are thirsty for science and for good news.”

“They are thirsty for hope, and that’s what science brings. And that’s also what CGIAR brings. We bring solutions to the country level and the community where science could really thrive.”

Through a video message, Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, said the science conference has come just a few months ahead of the 2nd United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“We will have the chance to reflect on the progress we’ve made and, more importantly, chart the way forward. Progress on the SDGs requires accelerating the transition to sustainable food systems. Partnerships are essential in accelerating progress, bringing together diverse expertise to drive science-based solutions,” she observed.

Stressing that by aligning research with policy and action and working with partners like CGIAR and the high-level panel of experts on the Committee on the Role of Food Security, “We are building food systems that are resilient, sustainable, and inclusive, ensuring lasting impact in the face of climate change and global hunger.

“Yet we must also remain mindful of the challenges we face, such as geopolitical tensions, the impacts of climate change, economic uncertainty, and the urgent need for a reformed international financial architecture that supports these efforts.”

Reflecting on the past five days, Dr. Eliud Kiplimo Kireger, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), the conference co-host, said the past week provided a critical platform for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation, bringing together global leaders, researchers, and partners to address the pressing challenges of food security.

Observing that the discussions underscored the role of science, technology, and partnerships in transforming food systems for a more sustainable and equitable future. Stressing that the event has “uniquely convened agriculture, climate, and health stakeholders to address interconnected challenges threatening food security and sustainability. By integrating these domains, we have moved beyond cycle approaches to systemic solutions.”

Further emphasizing that the Science Week showcased transformative tools from AI-driven architectural decision-making to climate-smart groundbreaking technologies that are ready for scaling and that “these innovations provide actionable pathways to resilience… the next step is prioritization of localized adaptations of proven technologies, particularly for smallholder farmers.”

Juergen Voegele, Vice President, World Bank/Chair of the CGIAR System Council, told participants that as populations continue to grow, the need for CGIAR’s role is stronger than ever as increasingly severe weather events make food production more and more risky. And growing conflict around the world makes more and more people food insecure.

“And changing trade policies, as we see in the last few days, will affect hundreds of millions of people. At the same time, we see a decline in public spending for the needs of poor countries broadly. That also means competition for scarce research dollars is much fiercer now. For us as a CGIAR system, it becomes ever more critical to have a compelling narrative.”

Voegele said investing in agricultural research has the highest return on the dollar and is a key part of the solution to a changing climate, migration, and conflict and that “we do need to tell a story about how many lives drought-resistant wheat varieties save or flood-tolerant rice or nutrition-dense crops. It is impact and scale that matter and will be the most convincing in lower capitals.

“And we must ask ourselves some fundamental questions. For starters, is our new research portfolio still 100 percent relevant or do we need to prioritize even more for impact?”

Dr. Rachel Chikwamba, Group Executive for Advanced Chemistry and Life Sciences at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), affirmed that CGIAR is uniquely positioned to serve and complement ongoing initiatives through its extensive network of partnerships, and it remains a leader in fostering collaborative efforts to address these seemingly intractable global challenges.

“They have done it for the past 50 years in a shifting environment, and they continue to do this so very proudly, as we have witnessed this past week. For the youth that are in the room, I hope you have been inspired, and I do hope you take up careers in science and technology; in particular, I hope you take up careers in agriculture,” she said.

“You have seen what is possible, you have seen the role of technology therein, and you have seen its potential to transform not just our lives, but indeed how we engage the youth and how the youth can take charge of our common destiny.”

No matter how complex the issues in the agrifood systems, the world must listen to what the scientists are saying, and they are saying that the solutions are in science, innovation, inclusion, and partnerships and that no one should be left behind.

CGIAR works with more than 3000 partners in nearly 90 countries around the world to advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis. Regional director generals from these partners supported the urgent calls for innovation, collaboration, and partnership.

The organization’s research centers include the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), The International Potato Center (CIP), AfricaRice, and The International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

In his closing remarks, Kenya’s Principal secretary state department for Agriculture, Dr. Paul Kiprono Ronoh, made an impassioned plea for youth to make a case for themselves and their involvement in resolving challenges in the agrifood systems. Further emphasizing that the time when decisions were made on behalf of farmers is long gone and that farmers must be at the table and at the center of developing and implementing innovative solutions.

“A crisis like this is an opportunity to find better solutions,” he said. “together we can transform science systems through science. Let us leave here inspired but also resolute in our commitment to using science, thus creating a future that is sustainable for generations to come. Kenya remains committed to being a leader in agricultural transformation and looks forward to working with all of you.”

IPS UN Bureau Report