2022 Annual Report Reflecting on three years as an Alliance

We supplied high-caliber, accessible scientific evidence via over 1,000 publications and maintained a strong presence at global fora to inform policy and decision-making. Many of 2022’s major successes – such as launching our Future Seeds genebank or PABRA celebrating 25 years of bean research in Africa – represent the culmination of years of hard work and cooperation. And while we continue building on decades of research expertise on topics such as agrobiodiversity conservation, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable food systems, our work is simultaneously evolving in exciting new directions. For example, we kicked off collaborations on molecular data analysis (The Periodic Table of Food Initiative) and artificial intelligence for resilient crop breeding (Project Artemis). We also explored how research can connect with the private sector, exemplified by our Accelerate for Impact Platform, an Alliance-led incubator that works with young people and startups across the world to deliver agri-food innovations.

2022 witnessed the further unification of the CGIAR centers’ processes, portfolios, and staff under One CGIAR. 32 new Research Initiatives were launched, with Alliance scientists involved in 29 and taking central roles in many that exemplify our expertise (such as Nature-Positive Solutions, Resilient Agriculture in LAC, Plant Health, Climate Resilience and Agroecology). As these research collaborations hit the ground running, we look forward to sharing how they combine many areas of work for greater impact. 

Surveying all of this work – initiatives, partnerships, publications – one might ask, what keeps us focused? What do establishing urban gardens (in Kenya), ‘mining’ cassava alleles (in Colombia), and delivering climate information services (in the Philippines) have in common? The answer is simple: communities, institutions, and people. Urban gardens empower vulnerable consumers to feed their families. Superior cassava traits guarantee farmers sufficient yield so they profit from each harvest. Climate information services provide farmers with forecasts while informing government policies and investments in disaster risk reduction.

Bioversity International and CIAT have combined histories (recently illustrated in this interactive timeline) of over a century of research dedicated to making agri-food systems benefit farmers, consumers, and everybody in between. As the Alliance, and with CGIAR, we are proud to continue and amplify this work.

With this in mind, we invite you to explore our Annual Report, with highlights from last year organized around the Alliance’s Strategic Objectives:

LAND: People sustainably manage farms, forests, and landscapes that are productive and resilient to climate change. 

CROPS: Communities and institutions sustainably use and safeguard agricultural biodiversity. 

FOOD: People consume diverse, nutritious, and safe foods. 

MARKETS: People participate in and benefit from inclusive, innovative, and diversified agri-food markets.