Call for proposal for Baseline Evaluation of the C4RPW Program

About ICARDAThe International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR. ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that consider gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.For more information: www.icarda.org.Program BackgroundThe RPW Program is a three-year international and multi-institutional program designed to combat the Red Palm Weevil (RPW), a devastating pest that threatens date palm, coconut, oil palm cultivation in UAE and LMICs. The program is funded by the Gates Foundation (GF) and The United Arab Emirates’ Presidential Court, and led by ICARDA, the program aims to develop, validate, adopt, and translate innovative, sustainable science-based, cost effective and environmentally friendly solutions to manage and contain RPW infestations.With the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a test bed for new innovations, the program will develop and establish scalable strategies that can extend to other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) affected by this invasive pest.Program goal: The primary goal of the C4RPWC program is to control and contain RPW infestations, thereby improving date palm productivity, profitability and resilience in the UAE and across the broader region.By strengthening scientifically proven, scalable, and sustainable pest management strategies, the program will contribute to enhancing food security, protecting rural and urban livelihoods, and safeguarding environmental ecosystems from the economic and ecological devastation caused by palm weevils.Overall program objectives: The C4RPWC program leverages the collective expertise of a diverse international consortium, bringing together CGIAR and non-CGIAR international research organizations, alongside UAE government institutions and national partners, as well as their counterparts in targeted LMICs. The consortium will prioritize and lead the development of cutting-edge innovations to control and contain RPW infestations. Moreover, the program will develop a comprehensive national action plan for RPW management, focusing on deployment pathways rather than direct large-scale developmental interventions. By integrating semiochemical, biological agents, new genetic approach, agronomic, citizen science, socioeconomic, and policy tools, the program will generate the scientific and operational framework necessary for a structured and sustainable approach to RPW control.A critical aspect of the C4RPWC program is the generation and dissemination of knowledge to support evidence-based decision-making. The program will provide decision-makers with critical insights into the current state of RPW infestations, their causes and sources, and the effectiveness of different prevention and mitigation measures. This information will allow for the refinement of intervention strategies, ensuring that proposed control measures are targeted, adaptable, and feasible.To ensure that the innovation and knowledge generated reaches all relevant stakeholders, the program will implement a comprehensive dissemination strategy.The program is structured into 5 interlinked workstreams.Workstream 1: Climate‑resilient, bio‑based management of RPWLed by the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe).Focus on leveraging natural ecological interactions to develop bio‑based control solutions for the Red Palm Weevil (RPW).Primary strategies include new pheromone‑based attract‑and‑kill systems, nano‑based biopesticides derived from locally adapted entomopathogenic fungi, RNA interference (RNAi) to disrupt RPW gene expression, and exploration of natural enemies as biological control agents.Solutions aim to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides and improve long‑term pest management by providing sustainable, eco‑friendly pest management strategy.Workstream 2: Biotechnological innovations for sustainable RPW controlLed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).Harnesses cutting‑edge biotechnological tools to develop innovative pest control strategies.Key approaches include RNAi as biopesticides, genome editing to enhance date palm resistance, and plant‑expressed dsRNA to disrupt RPW gene expression.These next‑generation tools aim to introduce highly targeted and sustainable interventions, reducing economic losses while minimizing environmental risks together wi