Note of welcome from the Director - West and Central Africa

Farid Waliyar Director ICRISAT, West and Central Africa f.waliyar@cgiar.org

In West and Central Africa (WCA), the low level of economic activity coupled with high population growth rates over the past decade have led to negative or stagnant growth in real per capita incomes. In many Sahelian countries, more than 30% of the population falls below the international poverty line of $1 a day and more than 30% of the population is undernourished. Agriculture, which is the main source of livelihood for the poor, accounts for more than 30% of the gross domestic product and employs between 82-92% of the total labor force. Unfortunately, domestic food production has not kept pace with the rising population.

A primary driver for ICRISAT's "new" IMOD (Inclusive Market-Oriented Development) strategy in WCA is market-demand -- creating incentives, and thus opportunities, for the poor to veer away from poverty through market-orientated production and value addition, whilst ensuring their food security.

Our collaborators include the National Agricultural and Extension Systems (NARES), various networks, regional fora (ie, CORAF/WECARD, FARA), CGIAR centers, Advanced Research Institutes (ARIs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), farmers associations, and the private sector.

ICRISAT's activities cover approximately 20 countries in the Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT) of WCA. ICRISAT is currently endowed with core competencies in the areas of agronomy (2), soil science (2), pearl millet breeding (1), sorghum breeding (1), groundnut breeding (1), socio-economics (1) and GIS (1).