Agricultural Research
France has world-renowned expertise in agricultural research France’s main research organizations focusing on agriculture, food, forest, rural spaces and regional development are:
- Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD);
- Institute of Research for Development (IRD);
- National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE);
- The French Agricultural, Veterinary and Forestry Institute (Agreenium) which brings together 14 higher educational institutions and four research organizations (CIRAD, INRA, INRAE and ANSES) in order to come up with joint strategies and implement them with its members, at national, European and international levels.
There are major global agriculture issues in the 30 years ahead: meeting the food needs of over 9 billion people, encouraging sustainable development in the context of climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty reduction by guaranteeing decent jobs, ensuring food security and sufficient nutrition against a backdrop of increased health risks.
Agricultural research must initiate and support the extensive changes needed in the policies, agricultural practices and natural resource management, particularly in developing countries, and in an efficient research –innovation – training and development continuum.
Agricultural research is one of the top priorities of our development and international solidarity policy. France’s continued use of a strong system for development, in particular through public bodies dedicated to developing countries such as the Research Institute for Development (IRD) and the Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), is a testament to this commitment.
Among the 12 commitments resulting from the One Planet Summit (December 2017), the European Development of Smart Innovation Through Research in Agriculture Initiative (DeSIRA) dedicated to agricultural research in developing countries in connection with climate change was launched in 2018 under the impetus of the European Commission, several Member States and the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation. The approach is innovative with:
- Strong links between research, innovation, training and development;
- A partnership, multi-actor, territorial and multi-scale approach;
- Ambitions to be a mechanism which quickly provides operational responses and concrete results.
France is particularly active in this initiative, contributing to the joint financing of projects through the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the implementation of projects, especially through CIRAD’s strong involvement in work on the Sahel and agroecology.
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Updated Octobre 2020