Dear colleagues, partners, and stakeholders,

The vision of a world in which we can provide food and nutrition security for all within the planet’s boundaries is under threat. As climate change converges with conflict and pandemic recovery, we are witnessing the most severe food crisis in modern history, with hard-won progress against poverty and equality, as well as hunger and malnutrition, being eroded.

CGIAR, whose mission is to transform food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis, is playing a vital role in meeting these converging challenges head on. Together with our trusted partners, we are developing innovative solutions that provide smallholder farmers and consumers in low- and middle-income countries with the tools and knowledge they need to adapt to the changing climate. We have changed the way we work to ensure that our science and innovation supports progress towards global targets – including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement – and the goals of our regional and country partners.

While agriculture is a significant contributor to climate change and is heavily impacted by it, it also has the potential to be part of the solution, acting as a carbon sink and supporting nature and biodiversity. This is why we’ve chosen a climate theme for this 2022 Annual Report, highlighting our work in the context of the changing climate.

A key achievement in 2022 was the launch of a major new portfolio of Research Initiatives. Drawing on half a century of expertise and a network of partnerships around the world, the portfolio channels our collective research efforts towards delivering impact where it counts. We established five impact areas that bring together the breadth of CGIAR’s expertise and focus efforts on research and innovation that can be brought to scale to meet today’s urgent challenges.

Our 2022 Technical Report, as a component of this year’s Annual Report, provides a deeper look into how we work, with an updated Results Dashboard on our impact, individual Annual Reports for each of the new Initiatives and Impact Area Platforms, and an in-depth report on internal performance, coordination, and practice change. The overall picture is brought together in our Portfolio Narrative report, showing how we have worked with partners to deliver results.

As well as launching a major new program of work in 2022, last year also brought significant milestones in our organizational transformation. One CGIAR, our ambitious reform, progressed to align the strengths and expertise of our respective Research Centers. This collaborative integration is allowing us to leverage our collective potential, streamline operations, and enhance our ability to deliver impactful outcomes on a global scale.

In 2022, we established our Executive Management and Senior Leadership Teams¹ made up of exceptional leaders from diverse backgrounds. We appointed new directors for our six major regions, each backed by a Regional Integrated Initiative. Our leadership is united behind their shared vision of healthier, more sustainable, more resilient food systems for people and planet.

The report highlights these accomplishments and more. In this digital-only publication, you can see results from across our Research Portfolio, learn how climate action is being integrated across our five key impact areas, explore stories of impact from CGIAR Centers and partners in our six major regions, and gain insight into how we are improving our operations.

We invite you to explore this year’s Annual Report to discover how CGIAR is addressing the urgent challenges posed by the growing insecurities we face today. With science and in partnership, we can achieve a world with sustainable, resilient, and equitable food, land, and water systems delivering nourishment and prosperity for all.

Warm regards,

Claudia Sadoff, CGIAR Executive Managing Director (to 31 July 2023)

Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Chair, CGIAR System Board

¹ Claudia Sadoff was CGIAR Executive Managing Director and led CGIAR’s Senior Leadership Team until 31 July 2023.

Download a PDF version of the report here