Our Activities
AGRINATURA is first and foremost a European organisation with members from 18 Member States of the European Union.
AGRINATURA assets are:
- global coverage of key issues in agricultural research for development, focusing mainly on developing countries and countries with emerging economies;
- a broad spectrum of complementary expertise in disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and development which allows AGRINATURA to work at the interfaces;
- solid experience in integrative and participatory approaches at different scales;
- translation of development issues into a researchable agenda; inclusion of development projects into on-going research and education programmes;
- partnership which goes beyond the function of services provider; regular and continuous contacts with project partners in the field before, during and after operation of programmes;
- extensive experience in capacity development and scientific support for the formulation of international development policies, and the search for project funding thanks to its collaboration with and support for partner institutions and stakeholders.
At the practical level, AGRINATURA partners interact with a single office (the secretariat) that:
- can rapidly mobilise necessary experts from 35 research, training and development organisations to work almost anywhere, and
- not only simplifies the project development contractual process, but also reduces operational costs.
AGRINATURA is formulating and implementing research and education programmes and projects in developing and emerging economy countries on every continent
AGRINATURA’s members have been involved in a large number of projects over the last 5 years, including:
- Preparation of a proposal for an Inter-Regional Cooperation Strategy for Biotechnology and Biosafety in West Africa (Donors: CORAF and WECARD) 2005;
- CGIAR Monitoring Reports: “Monitoring of the EC Support to Strategic Agricultural Research through the CGIAR Centres for Food Insecure Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and West Asia/North Africa Regions”(Donor: European Commission) 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010;
- Impact Assessment (IA) Services for the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme (Donor: FARA), 2006;
- ESFIM Inception Phase: Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Markets (Donor: IFAD and AgriCord) 2007:
- Etude sur les instruments de gestion de l’instabilité des prix (How to manage food price instability) (Donor: Agence Française de Développement, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et Européennes, France), 2008;
- ESFIM Phases I and II : Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Markets (Donor: IFAD), 2008 and 2009;
- Development of an EU Biotechnology Strategy for Developing Countries (Donor: European Commission) 2009;
- PAEPARD I and II: Platform for African-European Partnerships on Agricultural Research for Development (Donor: European Commission) 2007 and 2010.
In addition, AGRINATURA has also developed a wide range of activities for its members and its partners in the field of agricultural education programmes.
Further information will be posted in the near future.
AGRINATURA anticipates requests from its partners and is developing a proactive agenda
In addition to responding to calls from different donors, preparing project proposals, and implementing R&D projects, AGRINATURA members have identified seven thematic areas in which they have strong comparative advantages and wish to play a proactive role in Europe’s contribution to the international research and education for development agenda:
-
Access to markets: “From fork to farm”
Because of profound changes in agricultural activity (shifting of government priorities, volatile prices, variations in market conditions), farmers are required to become efficient participants in the supply chain. Agricultural R&D and investment can help farmers (large, medium or small) in articulating their needs and obtaining appropriate services. The future in all developing continents depends on the ability of family farmers to obtain appropriate technological and organisational options and support services for their own and their community needs. AGRINATURA’s involvement in ESFIM contributes to these developments.
-
Biosafety in developing countries
New technologies including biotechnology can improve agricultural productivity in developing countries, on condition that they respect safely standards and are adapted to local conditions. Increasing demand for biological resources can only be met through innovation and advancement of knowledge in sustainable management, production and use of biological resources. AGRINATURA’s experts in biotechnology are at the cutting edge in this area.
-
Desertification
The fight against desertification is closely linked to reducing poverty and hunger, environmental sustainability and developing global partnerships for development, three of the Millennium Development Goals. Sustainable dryland development can lead to increased employment and prosperity, and thus contribute indirectly to other MDGs such as reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, and controlling HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. For AGRINATURA, meeting MDGs is a top priority in its research programmes.
-
Emerging diseases
Major human diseases linked to poverty (AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis…) have a major impact on national economies and seriously hamper development. Developing countries are becoming increasingly vulnerable to changes in human and environmental conditions that nurture newly emerging diseases such as SARS, bird flu and Rift Valley fever that represent global hazards. AGRINATURA’s research teams are actively involved in taking an ecosystem approach to human health, developing new policies adapted to local contexts, and finding open-ended and viable solutions for the long-term future.
-
Forestry
The search for forest-based products including novel plant species and sustainable processes which improve properties and processing facilities also involves production of high added value products using wood-based fibres with high durability, usability and recyclability. Consumer demand is now focusing on new products through the replacement of “unsustainable products” and hazardous components (glues, painting, and preservatives), while seeking energy savings and environmentally-friendly goods. Here again, AGRINATURA’s members are at the forefront of international research.
-
Horticulture
Rapid urbanization in developing countries, its impact on food supplies to urban areas and new consumer demands place fruit, vegetable and aromatic crops at the heart of the debate on future food supplies. To make products and commodity chains more competitive, AGRINATURA seeks to concentrate research and development support operations on establishing eco-friendly, sustainable integrated production systems and to support the emergence of high added value and specific productions.
-
Risk management for family agriculture
Agricultural producers face many uncertainties: high variability in output, unpredictable market prices, weather conditions, disease and pests, increased integration and inefficiencies in agricultural markets due to lack of basic physical, institutional and regulatory infrastructure. Reducing agricultural risks can have a positive impact on agriculture-dependent countries. AGRINATURA is aware of these difficulties and is actively exploring possibilities for risk management to secure the livelihoods of many millions of farmers.
AGRINATURA’s members contribute to a specialised working group for each area with the mandate to:
- map current experience and expertise in agricultural research and development;
- look for ways of adapting agricultural research and practices to climate change;
- develop capacity;
- explore opportunities for agricultural extensive services; and
- support research management initiatives.
Further information will be posted in the near future.