ERA-ARD

Basic Information

Description

Agricultural Research for Development (ARD) plays a critical role in fighting poverty and hunger and in supporting more rapid and sustainable development in the poorest countries of the world. Most developing countries rely on agriculture as the engine for their economic growth, and more than 70% of the poor live in rural areas. In Europe, agriculture and food chains are increasingly confronted with challenges such as food safety, animal health and welfare, agro-biodiversity which clearly have a global dime nsion. For historical, socio-economic and cultural reasons, European Member States have developed a unique field-based scientific expertise in ARD, and support ARD directly or indirectly through their bilateral and multilateral programmes. With the Europe an Commission, the Member States also contribute to the funding of the international agricultural research centres of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), providing more than 140 million euros per year. The European Commi ssion also supports ARD through its development assistance programmes, and under the international dimension of the 6' RTD Framework Programme. In Member States, the responsibility for ARD programme planning and funding is often dispersed and shared betwee n different ministries, public institutions and/or foundations. This means that there are substantial potential efficiency gains from enhanced cooperation and coordination. This project fulfils an urgent need to better understand how ARD programmes are ide ntified, selected, designed, funded and managed at the national level. These mapping exercises will facilitate the construction of a shared vision and a strategic agenda on ARD in Europe. Innovative approaches and institutional arrangements will then be ex plored and used to implement joint and, during the second half of the project, transnational ARD activities.'