ICARDA; International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Charles Kleinermann currently serves as the Head of the Capacity Development and Private Partnership Unit at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) since April 2012, overseeing the integration of capacity development into research programs and enhancing partnerships with national programs, CGIAR centers, universities, and donors. Previously, Charles held positions such as Deputy Secretary General at the European Movement International, focusing on resource mobilization and EU lobbying, as well as Project Manager roles at the European Institute for Research on Euro-Arab Cooperation (MEDEA Institute) and Institut MEDEA. Academically, Charles obtained a DEA in Political Science from Saint Joseph University in Lebanon and has completed degrees in political and socio-economic studies and European affairs at UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles and Université catholique de Louvain.
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ICARDA; International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Getting agricultural research innovations into use in the dry areas is critically important, especially since these regions cover 40 per cent of the earth’s surface and are home to 2.5 billion people – a significant percentage of the world’s population. This is the core work of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Area (ICARDA), which works with partners worldwide, developing innovations to improve food security and the livelihoods of the rural poor. ICARDA’s work targets non-tropical dry areas in developing countries, and also produces international public goods with potential for global application. Research covers crops (wheat, barley, faba bean, lentil, chickpea and forage legumes), the management of natural resources (water, land, biodiversity), small ruminant production (sheep and goats), farming systems (intensification, diversification, integration between farming system components), and socio-economics and policy research – on how policies can be more relevant to the situation of low income countries. The estimated benefits of ICARDA’s crop improvement research and production of new varieties over the past 3 decades has been estimated at US$850 million per year. Over 900 improved varieties of wheat, developed from ICARDA material, have been released for cultivation worldwide. The new varieties offer higher yields; better tolerance to drought, heat, cold and salinity; and improved resistance to diseases, weeds and insect pests. Watch our short video - ‘ICARDA - What We Do’