Call for proposal for Baseline Evaluation of the C4RPW Program

About ICARDA The 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.

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Program Background The 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 RPW

• Led 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 control

• Led 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 with other conventional IPM tactics.

Workstream 3: Digital innovation and big data analytics

• Led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
• Applies AI, machine learning, and digital sensing technologies to create a proactive and data driven RPW management system.
• Focus on early detection tools like thermal imaging and remote sensing, predictive analytics using machine learning, and integrating IoT sensors and drones for targeted palm weevil management.
• Transforms RPW management from reactive to predictive, providing real time insights to optimize effectiveness of other innovations in pest control strategies.

Workstream 4: Good Agricultural Practices for RPW management

• Led by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).
• Integrates agronomic and ecological innovations to enhance the resilience of date palm production systems through improving palm tree health as first line of defense of protecting the crop.
• Key practices include smart irrigation systems, improved sanitation measures, evaluating the impact of date palm variety and environmental stressors, and deploying pest free seedlings.
• Embeds science driven best agricultural practices to foster long term resilience and protect palm crops from RPW and other pest threats.

Workstream 5: Translate research to action - pathways to scaling

• Led by ICARDA.
• Three work packages focus on adaptive research and conceptualizing deployment pathways to ensure that innovations can be effectively translated into real farm impacts.
• Work packages include developing adoption pathways and scaling strategies, engaging in citizen science and community engagement, and conducting socioeconomic impact assessments.
• Ensures the program delivers locally adapted, socially inclusive, and economically viable RPW management solutions, establishing a foundation for sustainable, long term national strategies.

Cross cutting Work Areas

• Capacity development.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL).
• Communication.

Implementing Partners

• ICARDA - leading and coordinating all research workstreams and cross cutting areas such as capacity development and MEL. Also leading the Pathways to Scale workstream, overseeing research and coordination efforts for RPW management technologies, and piloting implementation and scaling pathways.
• International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) - leads the Semiochemical and Biological Innovations workstream, focusing on pheromone based approaches and biopesticides for RPW control, and explores natural enemies.
• International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) - leads the Biotechnological Innovations workstream, advancing RNA interference (RNAi) based approaches and genetic editing of date palms for RPW management.
• International Crops Research for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) - leads the Digital Innovations and Data Analytics workstream, developing acoustic, optical, thermal, and imaging tools for RPW management, and creating predictive models and spatial risk maps.
• International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) - leads the development and implementation of new Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for RPW management, improving production under saline and desert conditions, testing various pest management methods, and establishing certification protocols for disease and pest free date palm seedlings.

Purpose of the Request for Proposals The purpose of this request for Proposals (RfP) is to conduct a baseline evaluation of the C4RPW Program. The specific objectives of the evaluation are to:

• Determine/validate the status of the Program's intended research outcome (and outputs) at baseline, i.e., the extent to which proposed innovations are integrated in the strategies, policies and programs of national /regional public and private institutions, or the lack thereof.
• Determine if the proposed innovations are consistent with the national agrifood policies of the UAE and LMICs.
• Examine whether the Program design, including collaborative implementation arrangements and associated budget allocations, is appropriate to meet the program objectives and ensure effectiveness and efficiency.
• Examine the potential of the Program to contribute to broader agrifood systems through advancement of innovations that mange pests closely related to the RPW, and crops closely related to the date palm.
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