Photos from Andrew Tock University of Warwick research and his trip to Uganda
Progress made to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges – including hunger, poverty, gender inequality, climate change and the loss of biodiversity – has been reported at the 405th meeting of CABI’s Executive Council.
The meeting highlighted how CABI is working with its 48 Member Countries on priorities agreed under the organisation’s Medium-Term Strategy 2023-2025. Dr Daniel Elger, CABI CEO, noted strong delivery against the Strategy’s impact targets for 2024.
Sustainably reduce crop yield losses due to pests and diseases
Dr Elger noted the progress of CABI’s flagship food security programme PlantwisePlus into a new and expanded phase starting in 2024. This will involve at least 27 countries and is intended to reach around 75 million people to help sustainably reduce crop yield losses due to pests and diseases.
An important element in PlantwisePlus is reducing the risks associated with pesticides, and there was discussion at the meeting of CABI’s plans to further build on work in this area with its Member Countries.
The meeting also heard about progress in developing a new initiative around sustainable landscapes and about CABI’s expanding work on improving the evidence available to support policy making, through vehicles such as the Juno Evidence Alliance and the Global Burden of Crop Loss. Progress during 2024 in enhancing the information and range of products available through the CABI Digital Library was also highlighted.
New Executive Council Chair Elected
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New Executive Council Chair – Her Excellency Dr Fatou Bensouda, High Commissioner of The Gambia to the UK and the Commonwealth.
The Executive Council elected Her Excellency Dr Fatou Bensouda, High Commissioner of The Gambia to the UK and the Commonwealth and former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2012-2021, as the new Chair of Executive Council.
Dr Bensouda became the first woman to hold her position at the ICC and before that she held high-ranking legal positions in The Gambia, including Attorney General and Minister of Justice. She serves as the Ambassador to a number of countries.
Outgoing Executive Council Chair, His Excellency Dhanpaul, was thanked for his service over the past two years and congratulated on his recent appointment as the Minister of Finance in the new Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago.
Member Countries also elected Mr Dmitry Robertson, Counsellor (Political & Economic Affairs), Jamaican High Commission, and Dr Sadik Kassim, Deputy Director General, Agricultural Technology Promotion, National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Uganda, and alternate Liaison Officer for Uganda, to serve as Observers on CABI’s Board for the next year.
The Executive Council approved CABI’s budget for 2025 and its financial plan for 2026-2027.
Additional information
Main image: PlantwisePlus plant doctors in Uganda help diagnose plant health issues.