Emphasis and Approach

Though CIIFAD's activities target poverty and the environment, its scope is necessarily broad, encompassing and integrating technical, social and institutional dimensions. To deal with complex and interconnected sets of issues, CIIFAD’s mode of operation is collaborative, interdisciplinary and problem-oriented. In addition to working at the policy level, many CIIFAD initiatives operate at the interface between research and community development. CIIFAD endeavors not only to foster adaptive research that leads to innovative, practical solutions at the field level, but to ensure scaling up of proven strategies and for wider impact.

Cornell University faculty from a wide range of disciplines bring their knowledge and skills to bear on overcoming specific obstacles to sustainable development. Goals are identified with national institutions and rural communities, and CIIFAD works directly with rural men and women as well as local NGOs, universities, government institutions, and the private sector to meet those goals.

CIIFAD's knowledge sharing strategies rely on blending traditional and emerging communication tools in order to connect the right information with the right people at the right time throughout the world. Knowledge generation and sharing is facilitated by convening people from around the world to work on global problems through developing on-line communities of practice, facilitating international workshops and meetings, supporting the development of multistakeholder coalitions and enabling collaborative, transnational opportunities.

CIIFAD’s focus is as much on relationships and processes as on new technologies and practices. Its aim is to inform policies and programs and build a stronger base of human resources and institutions, with rural people better organized and more empowered to make changes and contributions in their own interest.