ACIARAUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

ACIAR

ACIAR

Workshop:

Sustainable impact through international agricultural research collaboration

ACIARACIAR

Workshop outline • Dr Catherine Muthuri, World Agroforestry

Centre, Kenya, Project Leader on FSC/2012/014 Trees for Food Security

• Dr Abdou Tenkouano, World Vegetable Centre, Mali, Project leader on FSC/2012/111 Improving income and nutrition in eastern and southern Africa by enhancing vegetable-based farming and food systems in peri-urban corridors;

• Dr Ashok Kumar, Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management, with Dr Bill Bellotti, University of Western Sydney on LWR/2010/082 Improving livelihoods with innovative cropping systems on the east India plateau.

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Background

• ACIAR and partners• Results and impact• Independent Review of ACIAR• Changing partnerships

ACIAR

ACIAR

• Vision – ACIAR looks to a world where poverty has

been reduced and the livelihoods of many improved through more productive and sustainable agriculture emerging from collaborative international research

• Mission – To achieve more productive and sustainable

agricultural systems for the benefit of developing countries and Australia through international agricultural research partnerships

ACIAR

What we do

• Commission research into improving sustainable agricultural production in developing countries

• Fund project related training• Communicate the results of funded

research• Conduct and fund development activities

related to research programs• Administer Australia's contribution to the

IARCs

ACIAR

(AusAID) (Universities, CSIRO, State Departments CRCs etc)

Innovation model

ACIAR

Why international agricultural research?

• there is no substitute for food• improving agricultural productivity

lifts poor out of poverty• investments in agricultural research

give high rates of return• need productivity to be sustainable• Australia's comparative advantage in

research and innovation to underpin sustainable food systems

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Who’s involved – in Australia?

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Who’s involved - internationally

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ACIAR’s Research Projects Address the challenge of food insecurity in the

developing world Align with priorities set in consultation with ACIAR

partner countries

Achieve sustainable agricultural practices that lift productivity to deliver community impacts

Manage the challenges to agriculture from a changing global climate

Actively engage in the whole of government agenda

ACIAR projects are subject to early adoption studies 3 years after completion and subsequent impact assessment to provide accountability and improved decision making

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Number of people gaining access to and using improved agricultural technologies by project

0 20 40 60 80 100 1200

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

ACIAR ROU

Projects

Pe

op

le (

N)

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Additional agricultural production (USD) by project

0 20 40 60 80 100 1200

5000000

10000000

15000000

20000000

25000000

30000000

35000000

40000000

45000000

ACIAR ROU

Project

Ad

dit

ion

al

Ag

ric

ult

ure

Va

lue

(U

SD

)

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Research for Impact

R D E I

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Typical adoption of research outputs

Time (years) 30

Accelerated adoption of research outputs

Understanding barriers to adoption and partnerships to improve

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Research for Impact

Time (years) 30

R

D

EI

R

R

D

D

E

E

I

I

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Impact of ACIAR funded research in Afghanistan• Three ACIAR projects focussed on

wheat and maize productivity– Identified and released new varieties– $6 M PV terms

• FAO seed distribution projects– Strengthening National Seed

Production Capacity 2003-2006 – Variety and Seed Industry Development

2007-2011– $34 million in PV terms

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Factors limiting use of improved seed

20316

265

226

235

175

115

175

175

199

114

160

209

195

245

272

240

216

215

23

28

19

24

34

67

39

63

40

Not aware of the availability ofimproved seeds

No money to buy seed

High price of improved seeds

Improved seed not available at plantingtime

Improved seeds need more costlyfertiliser

Improved seeds are harder to farm

Insufficient information on how to farmthese seeds

Local merchants do not sell improvedseed

Improved seeds not easily availablelocally

Does not limit use Somewhat limits use Limits use

n=453 (eachfactor)

n=454(each

factor)

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Impact in Afghanistan• ACIAR provided $6.6million for research on

wheat and maize in Afghanistan, with FAO, contributing $34 million to improve seed distribution

• 466 farmers were surveyed in 7 provinces• ACIAR research assessed 9 improved wheat

varieties suited to local conditions• 10% adoption of the new technology since

the seeds were first released• total increase in productivity of 22–34%• $400 million in benefit for the Afghanistan

economy• Up to 140 000 farmers benefited from the

new technology in 201221

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Independent review of ACIAR

• Focussed on appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency

• Published in May 2013• Independent panel

– Mr Bill Farmer AO; Prof Ron Duncan; Dr Wendy Jarvie; Mr Terry Enright

• Comprehensive consultations• Sets future direction for ACIAR

– Recommendations accepted

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Future of ACIAR• Retain independence, but part of broader

aid program• Consider future issues – nutrition,

mining, energy, climate change, “stresses on production from ocean fisheries”

• Evolve partnerships due to changing capability (individual, institutional and regional)

• Tell our story• Better stakeholder engagement

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Future partnerships• important strengths:

– flexibility, – reliance on strong technical expertise, and– development of valuable partnerships in

Australia and overseas • Scope for a more systemic approach to

involving the private sector and NGOs in ACIAR’s work

• “ACIAR, after a process of consultation with interested stakeholders, develop a position paper on the future involvement in its work of the private sector and NGOs” (Recommendation 13)

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Current engagement – Seeds of Life

• Seeds of Life - partners with NGOs to bring in the results of the research

• "Seeds of Life has effectively leveraged the capacity of civil society groups (e.g. World Vision, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, USC Canada and local groups such as churches) to support diffusion of new varieties and to provide seeds to the more vulnerable groups."

ACIAR

Workshop:

Sustainable impact through international agricultural research collaboration