Current Research Topics - Sustainable Agriculture
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Research on Sustainable AgricultureThe livelihoods of 75% of the world’s poor will continue to depend on agriculture for the foreseeable future. At the same time, rising food prices are likely to make problems of hunger and poverty worse for urban and rural people. Research that produces innovation in agriculture is therefore more important than ever for reducing poverty. DFID has promised to double funding for research on agriculture, fisheries and forestry to £80 million a year by 2010. To meet that promise, we will continue to work on the research priorities in the 2006 Strategy for Research on Sustainable Agriculture. We will also focus on key emerging issues related to agriculture and natural resource management that fit our broader agenda of inclusive growth and climate change. See the working paper on Sustainable Agriculture which informed the Research Strategy 2008-2013. The timing of research competitions and calls for proposals can be found in the Implementation Timetable. Strategy for Research on Sustainable AgricultureIn March 2006 the Secretary of State announced the allocation of £200 million pounds over 5 years for the new Strategy for Research on Sustainable Agriculture (SRSA). This is built around 4 main components:
Getting Agricultural Research Into Use to Reduce Rural PovertyThe Research into Use (RIU) programme started implementation of it’s inception phase in July 2006 and moved to full implementation in July 2007. The aim of the programme is to promote the best results of past research funded by DFID and other donors in Africa and South Asia. The most promising outputs are being selected on their potential to raise farmers’ incomes, reduce poverty, halt environmental degradation, and increase food security. Lessons from the programme will be collected and shared to show how best to get forestry, fishing, farming and livestock rearing technologies and policies into use to maximise their impact on reducing poverty. After open competition the contract for the RIU programme was awarded to Natural Resources (NR) International, in association with Nkoola Institutional Development based in Kampala Uganda and Michael Flint (and the Performance Assessment Resource Centre), UK. See the project record for the Research into Use Programme. Regional Research ProgrammesThe Regional Research Programmes focus on West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa and South Asia. A smaller programme has been commissioned in the Andes. These programmes are working in close partnership with existing regional organisations so that research is undertaken on the issues that most affect the lives of the people living there. In Africa we have been working with CORAF and ASARECA and expect to be providing support to them later this year. An important part of these programmes is a focus on capacity building. DFID is already supporting the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) to implement a major capacity building programme in Africa. The purpose of the programme is to maximise the poverty reducing impact of interventions in the agricultural sector by supporting clearly expressed demands for human and institutional capacity strengthening, including competencies and capacity in agricultural research management and the capacity for professional development in research and development. We are also working with other key partners and donors on a harmonised approach to providing support to the agricultural and natural resource sectors through organisations based in Africa, for example by working through the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD)’s Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) International ResearchDFID also supports international agricultural research to deliver high quality and effective international public good research to tackle poverty reduction and achieve sustainable growth. The majority of this support is channelled through the 15 centres and challenge programmes of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). In addition support is provided to several international research organisations outside of the CGIAR, including CAB International, which complements the work of the CGIAR centres and fills any perceived gaps. DFID has agreed a programme of support to IFPRI, ILRI, FAO, and the Royal Veterinary College to conduct research on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) to develop evidence-based responses to HPAI at national and international levels that consider the impact on and effectiveness in smallholder systems and developing country economies. Advanced Research OrganisationsA responsive research programme with the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) on sustainable agriculture for international development was launched in 2006. This and potentially further programmes will provide opportunities for advanced research institutes to increase their efforts geared towards meeting the science and technology needs of developing countries. Summary of Strategy for Research on Sustainable Agriculture (PDF - 29 Kb) Multifunded Sustainable Agriculture ResearchAnimal Health DFID also provides support to Public-Private Partnerships to develop products and technologies for use by farmers in developing countries using intellectual property made available from both the public and private sectors. To date DFID has supported two partnerships: the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). Renewable Natural Resources Research ProgrammesDFID’s Renewable Natural Resources research programmes ran for 11 years and finished in March 2006 but numbers of the themes on which they were engaged continue in the new programmes now under development. The Renewable Natural Resources Research Strategy (RNRRS) was evaluated in 2005. The recommendations from the evaluation were used to inform the design of the new programmes.Research Programmes (completed in March 2006)
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