PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marie K. Thompson
DATE: January 2, 2002
IFDC
Restructures to Accommodate Expanded Mandate
Muscle Shoals,
Alabama (U.S.A.) — "IFDC began operation in 1974 as the
International Fertilizer Development Center. After more than a
quarter of a century’s progress as a world renowned fertilizer
research and development center, IFDC’s programs have evolved to
address a wide range of agricultural research and development issues
in addition to those identified exclusively with fertilizer.
Beginning immediately, therefore, IFDC is implementing operations
within a new organizational structure and is promoting its new image
as an International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural
Development," says Dr. Amit H. Roy, IFDC’s President and
Chief Executive Officer. "Even though IFDC has been working for
more than a decade in almost all phases of agricultural development,
its name did not accurately signify the Center’s true nature and
created a limited view of its broad capabilities."
Since the early
1990s IFDC’s mission has been "to increase agricultural
productivity in a sustainable manner through the development and
transfer of effective, environmentally sound plant nutrient
technology and agricultural marketing expertise." Although the
Center focuses primarily on the developing countries and countries
in transition, the scope of the organization is truly global. During
its history, IFDC has conducted projects in more than 120 countries
and has hosted approximately 8,000 participants from more than 150
countries in its numerous training programs and workshops.
IFDC takes a truly
holistic approach to agricultural development in its work. The
Center’s work involves a wide range of activities including
agronomic research, resource management, carbon sequestration,
policy and market development, the development of decision support
tools, crop modeling, the development and dissemination of soil
fertility management practices, climate change research, the
development of national action plans for developing agricultural
input supply systems, national agribusiness development programs,
and the development of input and output markets through the private
sector.
Under the new
organizational structure, which becomes effective on January 2,
2002, IFDC’s wide range of research and development programs will
be administered by two global divisions—Resource Development and
Market Development—and two regional divisions—Africa and Asia.
The Resource
Development Division will be comprised of two programs: (1)
Fertilizer Materials Program, which will continue to conduct
research and development projects that characterize and identify the
most efficient use of fertilizer raw materials and develop processes
to use these raw materials in fertilizer production; and (2) the
Soil and Nutrient Dynamics Program, which will identify mechanisms
to foster the adoption of agronomic technologies and socioeconomic
measures to enhance the efficiency of nutrient use by crops in
developing-country agriculture. A Technical Support Unit will
provide the laboratory, greenhouse, and pilot plant services as
needed.
The Market
Development Division will be comprised of two programs: (1)
Institutional Development Program, which will carry out overseas
development projects that develop competitive agricultural markets
and increase agricultural production; and (2) the Economics and
Policy Development Program, which will provide assistance to ongoing
projects concerning the local and world economy and agricultural
policies.
The Africa
Division, based in Lome, Togo, is comprised of the (1) Integrated
Intensification Program, which focuses on optimizing the use of
inputs to reduce nutrient losses that are detrimental both from the
financial and environmental viewpoints; (2) Input Accessibility
Program, which concentrates on ensuring supply, empowerment, and
gender differentiation; and (3) Policy and Market Program, which
aims to promote a policy environment capable of influencing
producers’ decisions positively regarding sustainable land
management.
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