Past agricultural priority assessment exercises have often emphasized efficiency or productivity gain as a single objective. This emphasis is appropriate for commodity-based research, but can be problematic for non-commodity research, such as research that addresses natural resources or other cross-cutting topics. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) research portfolio addresses multiple objectives, including equity (poverty alleviation) and environmental sustainability, which may involve trade-offs with short-term productivity gains. A key objective of ICARDA's research priority assessment is to lay the foundation for a regional partnership that facilitates consensus on agricultural research priorities to be addressed within a regional framework. The basic premise is that a regional process would strengthen partnerships among the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and create opportunities for more efficient use of scientific and other resources to enhance the likelihood of impact. In 2002, ICARDA, in collaboration with regional organizations, implemented an extensive research priority assessment exercise for Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA). This exercise involved brainstorming meetings at subregional levels, a formal questionnaire that was widely distributed across the region to various stakeholders and a final regional consultation that brought together (national, regional and international) stakeholders with different backgrounds and mandates. Comparisons across research themes were conducted using a scoring approach with well-defined evaluation criteria and associated weights. This bottom-up approach resulted in identifying regional and subregional research priorities. The main purpose of the regional approach was to facilitate a holistic approach to fighting poverty through interregional and international cooperation by involving many stakeholders from the outset. Building on this experience and responding to other external inputs, ICARDA developed its global strategic research plan for 2007-2016. This was done through extensive stakeholder consultation throughout the non-tropical dry area countries' national authorities, research and extension agencies, universities, international and regional bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), donors and other partners.

The Arab world is the largest food deficit region in the world due to the major challenges facing increasing food production despite the high potential to increase agriculture production in most Arab countries. In 2013 the Arab world imported 85.6 million tons of cereals compared to 65.3 million tons for Asia, the second largest food importer. Several factors are behind the food deficit in the Arab world including water scarcity and very low water use efficiency; serious climate change implications including more frequent droughts and high temperature; desertification or land degradation due to excessive grazing, loss biodiversity and salinity due to faulty irrigation and sea water intrusion. Political instability is another important factor that contributed to widening the gap between domestic food production and consumption. However, these challenges can be overcome through innovations in science and technology can help in growth in sustainable food production and improve food security without depleting natural resources. This paper describes some of these innovations, developed jointly by national research institutions in collaboration with the International Center for Agricultural Research Dry Areas (ICARDA) and other partners. These include improved, adapted crop varieties with high yield potential and resistance/tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses; appropriate water management and more efficient water use; diversification and sustainable intensification of production systems which increase the returns to water and land used and reduce the risk associated with variable climatic KEYWORDS Food insecurity

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