Announcement: Towards a framework for a Netherlands – CGIAR Partnership

The Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economic Affairs have started a project that aims to strengthen the synergy between the innovative work of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and Dutch knowledge providers including knowledge institutes, the private sector and civil society, for the benefit of working towards a food-secure world.

Background

There is a long history of involvement of the Netherlands and individual Dutch knowledge providers in the work of the CGIAR. The CGIAR and its research centres, as well as Dutch institutions active in Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) have both gone through changes, which have resulted in new parameters for the partnership. Two recent studies in 2014 (Van den Bos, Pulleman et al.) have taken stock of the present situation and concluded that the partnership needs to be optimized to remain successful and synergetic. A meeting in May 2014 showed ample support from Dutch stakeholders to look for options for improvement in the Dutch involvement in CGIAR Research Programmes. It was recommended to define a joint strategy which could lead to more effective research programmes; more input from the Dutch research institutes and other knowledge organizations; and consequently more effective use of Dutch expertise.

Approach

Building on the aforementioned two studies and through additional desk studies and interviews with Dutch and CGIAR stakeholders, a limited number of knowledge domains will be identified which are highly relevant for the work of the CGIAR, are Dutch AR4D priorities and offer clear scope for synergy. In addition, an inventory will be completed of different possibilities for strategic collaboration between the CGIAR and Dutch AR4D organizations. The result – being a framework of priority knowledge domains, instruments and incentives – will be discussed at a stakeholder meeting on April 24, 2015 from 09:30 till 13:30 at the New Babylon Meeting center in The Hague. Together these will form the basis for a formal partnership agreement between the Netherlands and the CGIAR.

The timing of this study is such that the resulting framework can support optimal strategic partnerships of Dutch AR4D with and within new CGIAR Research Programmes (CRPs). A new generation of CRPs will be developed from the middle of 2015 onwards.

The working group for the project consists of:

• Wijnand van IJsel (Ministry of Foreign Affairs))
• Corinne Abbas (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Patricia Wagenmakers (Ministry of Economic Affairs)
• Ineke Lemmen (Ministry of Economic Affairs)
• Frans Verberne (Director, F&BKP)
• Coosje Hoogendoorn (Consultant)

For more information, please contact Frans Verberne ().