RTB

at a glance

The CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) was launched in 2012 to harness the untapped potential of banana (including plantain), cassava, potato, sweetpotato, yam, and other root and tuber crops to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods. RTB brings together the expertise and resources of five centers: the International Potato Center (CIP), which leads the program; Bioversity International; the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA); and the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), which represents several other French partners in the research program. The centers have teamed up to collaborate on common issues affecting RTB crops, mobilize complementary expertise and resources, avoid duplication of efforts, and create synergies.

This collaborative approach aims to increase the benefits of the centers’ research and interventions for smallholder farmers, consumers, and other actors in root, tuber and banana agri-food systems. RTB consolidates research in five interdisciplinary flagship projects (FPs), described throughout this report. Each flagship has a dynamic leader based in one of the centers. Each flagship is composed of a set of interrelated research ‘clusters’ which have clear impact pathways through which RTB centers and their partners collaborate to achieve targeted outcomes. The areas of focus for each of the clusters were identified through an RTB assessment to determine the options with the greatest potential for impact.

The nested impact pathways at the cluster and flagship project levels are at the heart of the program’s results-based management. A monitoring and evaluation system, aligned with the overall CGIAR performance management framework, has been developed and its implementation is facilitated through MEL, an online planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning platform, collaboratively developed with several CRPs and centers. In 2019, RTB maintained collaboration with 319 partners, primarily national agricultural research organizations, academic and advanced research institutions, private companies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). These valuable partnerships have played an increasingly important role in this second phase as the program works to scale out the technologies and approaches developed under its flagships. RTB sought to accelerate the scaling of innovations linked with capacity development for partners, while ensuring that research benefits women and men alike and engages youth. Together, RTB and its broad network of partners are working to achieve the program’s intermediate development outcomes – which are fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals – by 2022.

How we work

Sustainable Development Goals

Selected RTB Program Targets (2022)

20 million people (50% women) increased their income

30,000 small and medium enterprises operating profitably in the RTB seed and processing sectors

8 million farm households increased RTB crop yield through the adoption of improved varieties and sustainable management practices

10 million people (50% women) have improved their diet quality

1.9 million ha of current RTB crops production area converted to sustainable cropping systems

At least 2 million households with increased capacity to deal with climate risks and exrtremes

9,500 individuals (50% women) with improved capacities in partner organizations

At least 5 partnership and scaling models tested in a minimum of 5 target countries

Flagship 1

Enhanced genetic resources

Flagship Project 1 (FP1) is developing leading-edge science for more efficient breeding of user-demanded root, tuber and banana varieties, while overcoming the limitations of conventional breeding for vegetatively propagated crops. Plant breeders across the RTB program are developing new genomic tools in collaboration with top universities and research centers around the globe. “FP1 is pleased to be a leader in the rapidly advancing field of genetic science,” says Luis Augusto Becerra, FP1 leader and principal research scientist at CIAT.

Flagship 2

Adapted productive varieties
and quality seed

Flagship Project 2 (FP2) breeds better crop varieties and improves seed systems. FP2 sees that the crop varieties bred by RTB match the needs and preferences of farmers and consumers: men and women. FP2 also strengthens the seed systems that get these varieties into the hands of women and men farmers. “We are committed to bringing farmers into the breeding process. We are ensuring their demands for specific traits are incorporated into our breeding projects,” says Maria Andrade, FP2 leader, plant breeder at CIP, and World Food Prize winner.

Flagship 3

Resilient roots, tubers and bananas

Flagship Project 3 (FP3) develops the strategies needed to keep root, tuber and banana crops healthy and productive. “FP3 is making sure that farmers have the most up-to-date tools to control crop pests and diseases and maximize productivity,” explains James Legg, FP3 leader. These efforts include new assay methods for seed-borne diseases, and a suite of apps to help diagnose crop pests and diseases and to give farmers information to manage those plant health problems.

Flagship 4

Nutritious food and value added

Flagship Project 4 (FP4) harnesses the nutritional potential of roots, tubers and bananas, sustainably expanding their use and adding value through post-harvest innovation. “At FP4 we want to understand the end users themselves and what is important to them in terms of post-harvest quality to drive innovation. This can guide breeders so they can make the varieties that people will want to grow and use,” says Tawanda Muzhingi, FP4 leader and food scientist at CIP.

Flagship 5

Improved livelihoods at scale

Flagship Project 5 (FP5) helps take innovations to scale. RTB is researching the best ways to engage African youth in agribusiness, considering how gender influences innovation and developing foresight models to anticipate the research and development needs of the future. “We are working to overcome the bottlenecks to adoption and to ensure that different groups of farmers are able to access and use RTB innovations at scale,” says Marc Schut, FP5 leader and senior innovation and scaling scientist with IITA and WUR.

Government of Cameroon

Government of Uganda

Financial report

CGIAR Funding Windows

• Windows 1&2 funds are provided by CGIAR to RTB for allocation across the agreed product portfolio. Window 1 funds are allocated by the CGIAR System Organization to different CRPs, including RTB, while Window 2 funds are designated by donors specifically to RTB.

• Window 3 funds are allocated directly to CGIAR centers by donors and are mapped into RTB when they are consistent with the RTB product portfolio. Window 3 includes a deduction of 2% of the total budget as contribution to the CGIAR System Organization.

Bilateral funds are contracts directly signed between a center and a donor and mapped into RTB.

The initial Windows 1&2 budget was USD 19.5 million. Nevertheless, foreign exchange changes and cost sharing percentage (CSP) had a negative impact that resulted in a reduction of USD 0.8 million, bringing the budget down to USD 18.7 million. Considering the USD 2.8 million of carry-over from 2018, the final allocation for 2019 W1&2 was USD 21.5 million. The total 2019 budget for RTB was USD 95.3 million, USD 21.5 million (23%) from Windows 1&2, and USD 73.7 million (77%) from Window 3, bilateral and RTB participant centers’ own funds.

2019 Expenditure

RTB total expenditure for 2019 was USD 83.2 million, or 87% of the budget, of which USD 19.1 million (23%) was from W1&2, and USD 64.1 million (77%) from W3, bilateral and centers’ own funds. W1&2 expenses reached 89% execution of the final budget and W3, bilateral and centers’ other own expenditure, reached 87% execution. W1&2 implementation in 2018 and 2019 was similar in absolute (USD 19.1 million) and relative terms (23% of total expenses). The RTB flagships have an average execution of 90%. No flagship has overspent. The flagship that has the highest implementation rate is flagship 2 with 99%, and the lowest are flagship 1 and 3 with 84%. The chart shows the W1&2 budget and expenditure by flagship and the Project Management Unit expenditure of USD 1.5 million.

RTB 2012 – 2019

The distribution of budget by funding sources (W1&2) has been stable over the last two years. Funds from W1&2 have been maintained at 23%. The implementation rate in 2019 was 87% which is similar to 2018 and 2017. The cumulative expenditure reached USD 612.5 million over the eight years of the program (USD 173.7 million from W1&2, and USD 438.7 million from W3, bilateral and center funds).

Flagship 2019 W1&2 Budget vs Expenses (USD Millions)

Flagship W1-2		Budget
		Bioversity International	CIAT	CIP	IITA	CIRAD	WUR	Partners	PMU	TOTAL
FP1 : Enhanced Genetic Resources		0.85	0.87	1.77	0.74	0.23	-	0.14	-	4.60
FP2 : Productive Varieties & Quality Seed		0.58	0.47	2.46	0.96	0.03	0.05	-	-	4.55
FP3 : Resilient Crops		1.29	0.45	0.83	1.59	0.05	-	-	-	4.21
FP4 : Nutritious Food & Added Value		0.18	0.54	0.69	0.73	0.25	-	0.11	-	2.49
FP5 : Improved Livelihoods at Scale		0.60	0.49	0.94	1.09	0.01	0.36	-	-	3.49
CRP Management & Support Cost		0.04	0.06	0.08	0.08	-	-	-	1.93	2.19
TOTAL		3.54	2.88	6.77	5.18	0.57	0.41	0.25	1.93	21.54

Flagship W1-2		Expenses
		Bioversity International	CIAT	CIP	IITA	CIRAD	WUR	Partners	PMU	TOTAL
FP1 : Enhanced Genetic Resources		0.70	0.94	1.51	0.58	0.19	-	0.14	-	4.06
FP2 : Productive Varieties & Quality Seed		0.59	0.48	2.22	1.15	0.03	0.05	-	-	4.52
FP3 : Resilient Crops		1.20	0.36	0.82	1.12	0.03	-	-	-	3.53
FP4 : Nutritious Food & Added Value		0.18	0.27	0.58	0.72	0.23	-	0.11	-	2.10
FP5 : Improved Livelihoods at Scale		0.59	0.38	0.91	0.95	0.01	0.32	-	-	3.16
CRP Management & Support Cost		0.04	0.05	0.05	0.08	-	-	-	1.49	1.70
TOTAL		3.30	2.48	6.09	4.60	0.49	0.37	0.24	1.49	19.07

RTB Expenditure: 2012 – 2019