- Who we are
- Meet the People
- Why is plant genetic diversity important?
- What is GCP’s core business?
- Why GCP?
- How does GCP operate?
- What is GCP's operational structure?
- Jobs
Created by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in 2003 as a time-bound 10-year Programme, the mission of the CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) is to use genetic diversity and advanced plant science to improve crops by adding value to breeding for drought-prone and harsh environments. This is achieved through a network of more than 200 partners (as of 2009) drawn from CGIAR Centres, academia, regional and national research programmes, and capacity enhancement to assist developing world researchers to tap into a broader and richer pool of plant genetic diversity. In this way, GCP strives to ensure that crops improved by cutting-edge research will reach farmers in the developing world. In Phase I (2004–2008), GCP worked on 18 crops, while in Phase II (2009–2013), the main focus is on improving seven key crops for drought-tolerance. GCP has an annual budget of about USD 15 million, through the generosity of various funders.
www.generationcp.org
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Meet the People
Meet the people in GCP and the roles they play in research, governance, advisory capacity and administration & management. More information
Why is plant genetic diversity important?
Plant genetic diversity is obvious: for the same crop, some plants are tall and some short, some survive extreme climate, or are naturally resistant to pests. The full set of the plant’s genetic information—called the plant genome—tells us the cause of these differences. It is this variation that crop breeders use to generate better adapted offspring (progeny). Through the years, researchers have gathered select genetic material from crops and their wild relatives, thus safeguarding these natural resources for future generations. This material is preserved in ‘gene banks’—the custodians of genetic diversity.
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What is GCP’s core business?
We selectively characterise the diversity of the most important crop germplasm for agriculture, including collections stored in gene banks under the custody of the CGIAR as well as national research programmes. Using this diversity, GCP applies genomic tools and interdisciplinary approaches to better understand gene function and their interactions. This understanding of gene systems across crops helps to identify and tag genes which contribute desired agronomic traits. Selection of favourable alleles at those genes increases the efficiency, speed and scope of plant breeding.
GCP also integrates information components and analysis tools into a coherent information gateway and provides support for data storage and analysis. To ensure impact, GCP empowers scientists in developing country national programmes to use modern breeding. As GCP approaches the end of Phase I (2004–2008) and beginning of Phase II (2009–2013), our new strategy emphasises product management and delivery as crucial cornerstones of GCP’s work in the coming years: concepts and ideas at GCP founding are increasingly evolving into useful GCP products, and we remain committed to delivering practical and relevant products to boost breeding and, ultimately, have impact on crop productivity in farmers’ fields.
Why GCP?
GCP’s network advances the frontiers of knowledge and develops practical tools such as molecular markers for desirable genes, for efficient field selection in plant breeding. Through our network of partners in the CGIAR, and in the public and private sector, GCP implements programmes that bring together plant scientists from different disciplines to improve crops for the ultimate benefit of resource-poor farmers. GCP works with cutting-edge plant biology research partners, and augments the efforts of the CGIAR and the broader agricultural research-for-development community.
How does GCP operate?
GCP links basic science with applied research. The network generates knowledge and develops practical tools such as molecular markers for desirable genes to complement field selection in plant breeding. Through our network of partners in the CGIAR, and in the public and private sector, GCP implements programmes that bring together plant scientists from different disciplines to improve crops for the ultimate benefit of resource-poor farmers. GCP works with the most powerful and innovative plant biology research partners, and augments the efforts of the CGIAR and the broader agricultural research-for-development community.
What is GCP's operational structure?
The Generation Challenge Programme has five subprogrammes that span the spectrum of research in germplasm, genomics, bioinformatics and molecular breeding for agricultural development:
- Subprogramme 1: Genetic Diversity of Global Genetic Resources
- Subprogramme 2: Genomics Towards Gene Discovery
- Subprogramme 3: Trait Capture for Crop Improvement
- Subprogramme 4: Bioinformatics and Crop Information Systems
- Subprogramme 5: Capacity-Building and Enabling Delivery
GCP represents a new approach to research-for-development by bringing the fruits of the genomics revolution to bear on the agricultural constraints of farmers in the world’s poorest countries. Critical to this approach is ensuring that the products of GCP research can and will be adopted, adapted and applied for the ultimate benefit of resource-poor farmers. A cornerstone of the programme is that its outputs are released as public goods, enabling scientists in developing countries to readily use elite genetic stocks and new marker technologies in their breeding programmes. A comprehensive and integrated Delivery Strategy is also in place to bridge the gap between advanced labs and user communities to ensure that the GCP’s research has long-term impact on resource-poor farmers.
GCP has a fairly flat organisational structure
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GCP is one of five Challenge Programmes established by the CGIAR to make high impacts in the short term through thematic approaches involving a multitude of research, development, health and delivery organisations. The Challenge Programmes are time-bound, independently-governed programmes which address themes of overwhelming global importance and need: nutrition, water use efficiency and conservation, crop genetic diversity, the Sub-Saharan Africa region and climate change. The hallmarks of the Challenge Programmes are their collaborative approach, thematic orientation and a time limit – 10 years for each.
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“In the next 50 years, the world’s population will likely increase by more than three billion and global demand for food will double. Most of the world’s best agricultural land is already under production, so without better-performing crops, agriculture will continue to spill into more marginal areas and destroy fragile environments. The enormous genetic diversity found in plants may hold the keys to improving staple crops and help assure adequate food supplies. Tools and technologies are now being developed that allow us to tap into that diversity to find important traits, such as pest resistance and drought tolerance. I challenge the next generation to use these new scientific tools and techniques to address the problems that plague the world’s poor.”
—Norman Borlaug (1914–2009), Agricultural scientist and 1970 Nobel Peace Laureate at the launch of the UN Millennium Development Goals, 2000.
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