Strategic Plan 2024 - 2034

Soil and water resources are essential to agriculture, but they are under serious threat across different agroecosystems due to a range of natural and human factors. Globally, one of the biggest threats to agriculture today is salinization and sodification, either occurring naturally or caused by human activity. It is a complex threat; especially when it is combined with other agricultural risks such as drought, soil erosion, and water scarcity. 

Yet climate change and population growth are forecast to increase pressure on agroecosystems worldwide and consequently accelerate salinization and sodification, especially in regions which already face considerable constraints on agriculture. While agricultural productivity and production will be affected in most regions, these challenges will disproportionately impact the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers and other food producers in already fragile agroecosystems. It is estimated that salinity directly affects the livelihoods of 1.5 billion people globally and around 25% of the world’s arable land is affected by salinity today. 

To address this challenge, it is important to develop and adopt innovative solutions for sustainable and productive agriculture under unfavorable conditions to ensure future food, water and livelihood security. 

With 25 years of research and development experience in biosaline agriculture, ICBA is well-positioned to lead future agricultural research, development and innovation to tackle the challenges of salinity and other stresses in saline and arid environments. ICBA will follow a holistic and integrated approach to sustainable Executive Summary agricultural development with a unique focus on salinity, water scarcity and other stresses and their interactions within and impacts on agrifood systems. 

ICBA will leverage its extensive expertise and mobilize its partners in different countries to make a positive lasting impact on the lives and livelihoods of farming communities through agricultural science and innovation. 

Under its motto “Agriculture for Tomorrow”, ICBA will work to Prevent, Manage and Recover from salinity in agroecosystems. The center will work with partners to create and scale up innovative science-based solutions for preventing and managing salinity and restoring saline environments to improve agricultural productivity and production that underpins rural economies and livelihoods.