Annual Report 2006/07 - ETH - North-South Centre North-South ...

EditorialThe present Annual Report of the Swiss Centre of InternationalAgriculture (ZIL) at ETH Zurich appears at the sametime in the usual and in an unusual form. In the usual formbecause it reports on priority areas of ZIL activities in thesame manner as in the past years. The impressive picture onthe cover relates to the main topic of the Annual ZILConference 2006 and to several research projects on agroforestrysystems in developing countries. The dual use of landis still vital in many parts of the world to support man for hisbasic needs. However, agro-forestry systems are delicate inview of avoiding over-exploitation and conflicts of interestbetween agricultural and forestry use, but also between theprimary uses and tourism. Needless to say that the ZIL PriorityResearch Area “Livestock Systems in Support of Poor People”has addressed and still addresses part of its research activitiesto problems of the development of sustainable agroforestryconcepts.The unusual aspect of the present report is found in the factthat it covers a period of 18 months instead of only one calendaryear. The extension is connected to the initiation of thefifth phase of cooperation between ZIL and the Swiss Agencyfor Development and Cooperation (SDC), which so far hasbeen the main funding body for ZIL. In the course of the negotiationsfor the new contract between ZIL and SDC it becameclear that the financial commitment of ETH Zurich towardsZIL must increase in the future and that the activities of ETHZurich at large towards developing countries should be bundledand made more visible. Accordingly, a re-organisationprocess was launched right after the implementation of thenew SDC contract in Spring 2006. We were fortunate indeedthat SDC gave us enough time for this challenging projectand that the bottom-up process was supported by all institutionallevels of ETH Zurich from individualresearchers up to the Executive Board. As aresult, the Competence Centre North-Southat ETH Zurich (working title) was createdand inaugurated at the end of June 2007.Besides ZIL, the ETH Zurich “Network forInternational Development and Cooperation”(NIDECO) joined the new centre as amajor partner. The centre is also open tonew members outside the traditional circlesof ZIL and NIDECO.In this far-reaching reorganisation, theassociation ZIL was dissolved as a legal andFelix Escher, Presidentadministrative entity after 14 years of existence. Of course,this does not mean at all that the successful programme andthe great spirit of ZIL will cease to exist. On the contrary, ZILactivities present one of the core components of the new centreand will profit from the new financial model and fromnew opportunities of extended interactions with otherdomains of ETH Zurich.The transition from ZIL to the Competence Centre North-South was also the right moment for me to put board responsibilitiesinto new hands. I look back to five stimulating yearsof ZIL presidency, and I extend my sincere appreciation andpersonal thanks to everybody who has served and supportedZIL in one way or another. Special thanks go to the ZILManaging Director and her team. I trust that this service andsupport will continue in the new organisation for the benefitof development cooperation.Felix Escher, President of ZIL3