ICARDA and Iran sign new initiative

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and Iran signed an agreement to increase production of cereal-based foods over the next five years.

The initiative is intended to increase yields of barley, chickpea and wheat by 25 percent.

"This project builds on the solid expertise of our Iranian colleagues," ICARDA Director General Mahmoud Solh said. "It is a good illustration of how cooperation between partner countries and the international research community can make a real difference to people’s lives, and ultimately to national development."

The agreement targets farmland in East Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah and Lorestan, where conditions are harsh and overall crop yield is low. Agriculture is the primary source of income for more than 15 million people in Iran's rural areas.

ICARDA develops and shares crop varieties that thrive in poor, dry soils. The project will provide high-quality seed that will thrive in the harsh conditions of the more than 2.4 million acre area. Increasing the productivity of these cereal crops by 25 percent will help resolve the food insecurity that currently affects 49 percent of Iranian households. In addition, 67 percent of children and 65 percent of the elderly face food insecurity in Iran.