An adventure in applied science - IRRI books - International Rice ...

Creation of other international centers 159CIAT’s earliest success was its rice research and training program, whichJennings developed from his experience at IRRI and even earlier in Colombia.The CIAT program was further influenced by IRRI in that not only Jenningsbut Byrnes, Johnson, and McClung moved from there to CIAT, bringing theknowledge and experience they had gained from working at the oldest of theinstitutes within the network of international agricultural research centers.THE FOUNDING OF THE CONSULTATIVE GROUPON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (CGIAR)By 1968-69, it was apparent that the financial requirements of the four internationalagricultural research centers already established by the Ford andRockefeller Foundations would exceed the $3 million annual allocation($750,000 to each center by each foundation) that the foundations had told theirtrustees would be the maximum amount that would be requested for thesupport of the centers. Furthermore, as these institutions prospered (particularlyIRRI and CIMMYT at that stage), the suggestion was being made byagricultural development authorities that the same pattern be followed forcenters to specialize in several other important crops and animals. Althoughthe ideas on such needs had not crystallized at that time, it became obvious toboth foundations that if such expansion did occur, other foreign assistanceorganizations would have to carry the major financial burden.Wortman at the Rockefeller Foundation was deeply interested in seeing thework of the international agricultural research centers, both current andfuture, receive adequate support. As a means of achieving this, he conceivedthe idea of mobilizing the resources of the major governmental and privateforeign assistance organizations. First, of course, the interest of those potentialparticipants had to be aroused, and Wortman’s proposal to the RockefellerFoundation was that it invite the heads of all important foreign assistanceagencies concerned with agricultural development to a conference at theBellagio Conference Center, which the foundation maintained in Italy. Theidea met with instant approval by Harrar and Myers, the foundation’s presidentand vice president, respectively.The Ford Foundation was equally concerned about future financial supportof the centers and agreed to participate fully in the meeting at Bellagio.The conference was held in April 1969, with no one knowing what thefollow-up would be. As it turned out, a series of gatherings of representativesof development organizations was held and soon dubbed Bellagio I, BellagioII, etc, which accounts for the headings under which the meetings are separatelydescribed in the following section.Bellagio IThe Rockefeller Foundation’s invitation to the heads of major foreign assistanceagencies and organizations received a gratifying response. Representativesof 15 national and international donor organizations assembled forBellagio I for the period 23-25 April 1969 (see photo).