Technical Advisory Committee Seventeenth Meeting, 9-10 September 1977: Draft Report

Report of the seventeenth meeting of TAC held in Washington, D.C., 9-10 September 1977, TAC Chairman Ralph Cummings presiding. TAC heard progress reports on forthcoming quinquennial reviews of ICRISAT, WARDA, and IITA, as well as the stripe review of farming systems research. The final report of CIAT's quinquennial review was endorsed and forwarded to the CGIAR. TAC decided to hold only two, instead of three, meetings in 1978. TAC approved a set of principles and criteria for assessing the suitability of proposals for CGIAR support.TAC accepted the priorities identified by an FAO consultant on water buffalo, namely straw utilization and reproductive efficiency, and commended his report. It declined to recommend CGIAR associate status for the project. TAC was also not prepared to recommend support for an International Board for Soybean Research to coordinate the efforts of a number of independent member institutions in forming an international research and training program. The proposed International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) was the focus of a joint session between TAC and Center Directors, with FAO and donor participation. TAC recommended that the CGIAR establish a task force be established prepare a more detailed plan. There was a discussion of training in preparation for a CGIAR forum on that subject.The TAC Subcommittee on Vegetable Research recommended the establishment of an International Council for Tropical Vegetable Research for an initial period of five years. While TAC considered vegetables a first order priority, it declined to endorse the recommendation until a number of issues were addressed by the Subcommittee. Pressed by the CGIAR secretariat for a firm position on ICIPE, TAC recommended support through IARCs of relevant activities within a limit of 50% of ICIPE's budget, and a $1 million capital grant as an interim measure