agricultural research

On January 26, 2016, the Working Group ARCH and the European Commission organized a pre-event before the DG AGRI Conference on Agricultural research and innovation titled, “Designing the path: a strategic approach to EU agricultural research and innovation”. »

The Resilient Seed Systems Resource Box is a tool to enhance the access and use of crop diversity to adapt to climate change. It is an open-access toolkit with eight steps that provides a methodology to build resilient seed systems and helps farmers adapt to climate change effects. The box can be used to find selected resource to support research processes, or as a learning tool for building capacity in facilitating, conducting or participating in research processes. »

This article in the Experimental Agriculture Journal highlights ‘Innovation Platforms’ (IPs) as a promising vehicle to foster a paradigm shift in agricultural research for development (AR4D). By facilitating interaction, negotiation and collective action between farmers, researchers and other stakeholders, IPs can contribute to more integrated, systemic innovation that is essential for achieving agricultural development impacts. However, successful implementation of IPs requires institutional change within AR4D establishments. The objective of this paper is to reflect on the implementation and institutionalisation of IPs in present AR4D programmes. »

Agropolis Fondation, Fondazione Cariplo and Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso announce the launch of the “Thought for Food Initiative: Transdisciplinary research towards more sustainable food systems” Call for Proposals, with deadline February 29, 2016. »

This Global Panel’s technical brief (PDF) argues that the research community and governments need to work together to develop better ways to collect data which focuses on the nutritional impacts of food policy interventions. The brief is aimed at analysts, statistical experts and decision makers who use evidence to guide their policy choices. »

This expert opinion written by Karen Brooks, Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets and published on the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform on inclusieve development policies, focuses on the role of agricultural science for job creation in Africa. ccording to Brooks, removing or reducing current barriers will attract more young people to agricultural careers and help those already farming to do so more successfully. »