Ties that Bind: Australia and ICARDA

Abstract

Australia has traditionally been a strong supporter of agricultural research, both at home and abroad. Total Australian funding for ICARDA research amounted to US$ 575,000 during the 2001 financial year, a 53% increase from 1996. Perhaps even more important than this significant contribution to the Center’s budget is the sharing of skills and experience between ICARDA and Australian scientists involved in collaborative projects. Australian scientists on the Board of Trustees and those employed at ICARDA have provided leadership and vision as the Center has grown, and Australian institutions and scientists have supplied considerable expertise, experience, and resources to bear on the pressing problems of Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA).