Fifty years ago, ICARDA was founded on the premise that science and innovation could unlock the productive potential of dryland agriculture and transform the lives and livelihoods of the people who depend on it. Today, that premise is supported by decades of evidence and impact across some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, while the urgency of its mission has only intensified.
Drawing on five decades of scientific leadership in dryland agriculture and the trust of our partners and the communities we serve, ICARDA has developed integrated, systems-based solutions that strengthen agricultural production, sustainably manage natural and genetic resources, support evidence-based policy, and improve livelihoods. These efforts are underpinned by capacity building, digital innovation, and inclusive development.
The 2025 Annual Report seeks to capture the collective achievements of the past year while showcasing the impact of ICARDA’s science across the drylands. The report also reflects the dedication of ICARDA’s staff, scientists, and partners across the region, who continue to operate in highly diverse and often disrupted operating environments. Through flexibility, collaboration, and innovation, they have sustained the delivery of the research that generates tangible benefits for farming communities and national systems alike.
In 2025, ICARDA-developed crop varieties continued to reach millions of farmers, with further expansion of new improved varieties through our ongoing programs. Genebank systems became better connected across the regions where we work, strengthening the long-term conservation and accessibility of the crop diversity that underpins dryland food systems. Advances in genomics, phenotyping, pre-breeding, and accelerated breeding are enabling valuable diversity conserved in ICARDA’s genebanks to be incorporated into improved varieties more rapidly and efficiently.
ICARDA has also helped establish major regional initiatives to address shared agricultural threats and leverage opportunities. The Consortium for Red Palm Weevil Control program, developed with partners including the International Affairs Office of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Presidential Court and the Gates Foundation, is advancing integrated detection and control systems across multiple countries to reduce damage to date palm plantations. Integrated Desert Farming Systems are demonstrating how regenerative practices, precision water management, and renewable energy can transform deserts into productive, resilient farming systems. Multi-partner efforts have also begun rebuilding research and seed systems following conflict in Sudan and Syria, helping to restore critical capacities for food production and recovery.
Leading ICARDA over the last decade has been both a privilege and a responsibility. As I prepare to step down as Director General, I remain confident that ICARDA is entering its next chapter with robust scientific foundations, strong partnerships, and a clear strategic direction. During my tenure as Director General, ICARDA has navigated a period of unprecedented global uncertainty, where conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability have evolved from isolated disruptions into interconnected and compounding challenges. These converging pressures have exposed serious vulnerabilities across global food systems and reaffirmed the critical importance of agricultural science as a global public good. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Arab region, where more than 66 million people faced hunger in 2023, with conflict and geopolitical tensions remaining among the primary drivers of food insecurity.
Yet these challenges have also reinforced ICARDA’s purpose. Working alongside our national and international partners, we continued to deliver science-based solutions that strengthened food security, improved livelihoods, conserved vital genetic resources, and helped farming communities build resilience to climate change. Even as the global funding landscape shifted, we adapted our approach, strengthened strategic partnerships, and remained focused on delivering measurable impact where it matters most.
As I conclude my tenure, I do so with the recognition that ICARDA’s achievements are the result of decades of leadership, scientific excellence, and the dedication of countless colleagues and partners. This milestone also provides an opportunity to acknowledge my predecessor, Director General Dr. Mahmoud El Solh, whose vision and leadership transformed ICARDA into a globally respected research institution and advanced the science of dryland agriculture. His passing in 2025 was a profound loss to ICARDA and to the many communities, partners, and colleagues whose lives he touched.
ICARDA’s strong governance and management structures will ensure continuity through the upcoming leadership transition, keeping ICARDA well-positioned to respond to the growing scale and complexity of challenges facing dryland agriculture and to leverage expanding opportunities for innovation and collaboration. However, ICARDA’s long-term impact will depend on sustained investment in science, strategic partnerships, and locally grounded innovation. By building on its scientific strengths, focusing on areas where it has a clear comparative advantage, and working across disciplines to scale proven solutions, ICARDA can continue to strengthen food systems, safeguard natural resources, and improve livelihoods across the drylands.
The organization’s future relevance will depend not only on generating excellent science, but on demonstrating how that science strengthens national systems, reduces risks for dryland farmers, safeguards natural resources, and supports recovery and resilience in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions. I remain confident that ICARDA can continue to rise to the challenge of serving dryland communities, remaining at the forefront of agricultural innovation and excellence for dryland communities by demonstrating the myriad ways in which science, when coupled with strong partnerships and a clear sense of purpose, can transform lives, strengthen resilience, and help shape a more food-secure and sustainable future.
Aly Abousabaa
Director General, ICARDA
(Message for: ICARDA ANNUAL REPORT 2025)