Andrew Noble, Director of the CGIAR programme on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)  recently vistited FAO to present WLE’s activities and to carry out further discussions on future collaboration between FAO and the CGIAR programme.

With the recently prepared memorandum of understanding, the two organizations will intensify their existing collaboration and further address pressing issues associated with agricultural and food systems, along with the sustainable management of natural resources that these systems depend upon. 

In this collaborative landscape FAO provides a sound integrated approach to natural resource management while WLE’s research will provide further backing to the adopted sustainable intensification approach. Both Organizations support the view that healthy functioning ecosystems are a prerequisite to agricultural development, resilience of food systems and human well-being. This vision is in line with FAO’s Strategic Objective No. 2, “Make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable”. 

FAO, as the CGIAR/WLE Research Programme’s sole external partner, will be involved in the strategic aspects of the programme implementation and will play a critical role in the implementation of the findings and recommendations through helping member countries  articulate scientific agendas and needs, and in working with national governments in the uptake of the results.  

WLE’s next Steering Committee meeting is due in March 2015 and will beheld at FAO Headquarters.

The Water, Land and Ecosystem Research Programme comprises twelve partners, eleven CGIAR members and FAO, putting the Organization in the privileged position of being at the forefront of agricultural research.

FAO serves on the WLE Steering Committee, and contributes a Science Focal Point involved in the research related issues.

Photos from the session >>