In Kenya, global leaders will discuss the role of science and innovation in tackling the challenges of food security, climate change and health, with the participation of the Director General of IICA
San José, Costa Rica, 25 June 2024 (IICA). Global leaders, scientists and public policymakers involved in efforts to guarantee food and nutrition security will meet next week in Nairobi, Kenya, for Science Week, an event organized by the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to address issues at the intersection of agriculture, climate and health.
The CGIAR is a consortium of research centers that has been working with partners around the world for more than 50 years to promote the use of science as a tool to combat hunger and inequality.
This partner institution of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the largest global network for agricultural innovation, has four research centers headquartered in the Americas.
With more than 10,000 researchers in 80 countries, it provides scientific evidence to guide the transformation of agrifood systems and facilitate better economic, environmental and nutritional use of agriculture.
The CGIAR is hosting Science Week in Nairobi in collaboration with the Kenyan Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), and IICA Director General Manuel Otero will be taking part with proposals for stepping up South-South and Triangular Cooperation aimed at reducing food insecurity and poverty levels in the Americas.
The event is a response to the urgent need to address global challenges that threaten the sustainability of farmers, soil health and access to water. These global issues pose the greatest risk to vulnerable people and communities.
Experiences and lessons learned
The participants will reflect on past experiences – including successes, challenges and lessons learned – and discuss new ideas. High-level sessions will take center stage during Science Week, bringing together a group of diverse actors to explore the transformative power of innovation and progress to build a better future.
The working sessions will also focus on ways of forging partnerships and facilitating South-South Cooperation, to ensure that advances in agriculture are developed and shared effectively with farmers, particularly those in marginalized communities.
In addition to IICA, the CGIAR partners taking part in Science Week include the Government of Kenya, the African Union, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The list of speakers includes Ismahane Elouafi, the CGIAR’s Executive Managing Director, and Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, the institution’s System Board Chair.
“With science, we can reimagine a healthy, sustainable future for people and for the planet. At CGIAR Science Week, we will bring together people, ideas and innovations that can make this ambition a reality,” Elouafi said.
The gathering aims to inspire action and promote investment in sustainable agrifood systems, to feed people and preserve the planet. It will be an opportunity to strengthen science and innovation as solutions to the multiple crises facing humanity, facilitate consensus among those working on food security and climate change issues, and establish partnerships that are essential to promote collective action.
In the Kenyan capital, there will be talks from global leaders in research, policy, and development about how the world can harness and scale science and innovation. It will also be an opportunity to experience, in the Exhibition Area, ventures and initiatives designed to improve the lives of producers and consumers across the globe. In addition, there will be field visits to research stations where the participants will observe science in action. And the participants will be able to co-create and contribute to the design of the CGIAR 2025-2030 program.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int