Agricultural production - Links

[Updated: October 30, 2010]

This page was established to provide you with easier access to links concerning agricultural production posted on this site.  Please note that new items uploaded since the latest monthly newsletter will be posted on top of the list.

NEW: Consortium for Improved Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA). Using the different capacities of the participating institutes, the consortium aims to enhance research synergies, while avoiding needless duplication of research activities.  Using the different capacities of the participating institutes, the consortium aims to enhance research synergies, while avoiding needless duplication of research activities.

 

A | B |C | D |E | F | G | H |I | J | K | L | M |N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z


A

Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund - Research into Business (AECF RIB). The AEFC RIB programme is part of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund hosted by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The programme supports business ideas based on agricultural research, a.o. partnerships between agribusinesses and agricultural research institutions. The website also gives access to a Virtual Market Place, where research institutions showcase technologies ready for uptake by the private sector.

African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). AATF is designed to facilitate and promote public/private partnerships for the access and delivery of appropriate proprietary agricultural technologies for use by resource-poor smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE). The objectives of AAAE are to improve the linkages between agricultural economists interested in African issues, to promote training, research, policy dialogue and to contribute to rural development.

AfricanCrops.Net . AfricanCrops.Net is a website dedicated to the improvement of African crops and seed systems. AfricanCrops.Net hosts an email news service and serves as a research platform, supporting other research networks.

African Journal of Agricultural Research (AJAR). The African Journal of Agricultural Research (ISSN 1991- 637X) publishes high-quality solicited and unsolicited articles, in English, in all areas of agriculture. Abstracts and full articles are available online.

African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE). ANAFE is a network, whose objective is to strengthen the teaching of multi-disciplinary approaches to land management and improve the quality, relevance and application of agricultural education in Africa.

Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products (ASNAPP). ASNAPP is an organisation working on is passing on knowledge to enable rural Africans to socially and economically uplift themselves.

Agricultural Research for Development - Dimension of the European Research Area (ERA-ARD). ARD addresses the agricultural challenges and issues faced by developing countries, emerging countries and countries in transition. ERA-ARD is an FP6 project of the European Commission’s ERA-NET Scheme and intends to strenghten cooperation and coordination of research activities at national or regional level in the member states and associated States.

Agriculture 21. The agriculture website of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The website includes a news magazine plus guides and links to information on livestock, biotechnology, land/water development, crop production, plant protection and agricultural support systems.

AgriCultures Network. The worldwide AgriCultures Network, consisting of eight organisations publishing one global magazine about agriculture and seven regional magazines, supports efforts to build up knowledge on small-scale family farming and exchanges field level experiences in several languages.

Agri-ProFocus. Agri-ProFocus is a Dutch partnership of donor agencies, credit institutions, fair trade organisations, training institutes and knowledge institutions. Agri-ProFocus is engaged in the development and strengthening of producer organisations to promote rural economic development and liveable rural areas. 

Agropolis Foundation. Agropolis Fondation is a French scientific foundation established to promote and support high-level research, training and higher education and to broaden international research partnerships in agricultural sciences and sustainable development research, exploring solutions to the world's food and agriculture challenges.

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) The Alliance is a platform for dynamic partnerships working across the African continent to help millions of small-scale farmers lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. AGRA programs develop practical solutions to significantly boost farm productivity and incomes for the poor while safeguarding the environment.

Asesoría e Investigación Interdisciplinaria para el Desarrollo Local y la Conservación (ASINDEC). ASINDEC is an organisation based in El Salvador initiated by researchers and working together with local coffee farmers. ASINDEC aims at providing information and training to support farmers and local organizations in the areas of natural resources management, conservation and local livelihoods, and cultural development.

Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI). The overall objective of APAARI is to foster agricultural research and development in the Asia-Pacific Region so as to help address the concerns of hunger, poverty, environmental degradation and sustainability of agricultural production.

Asia Pacific Regional Technology Centre (APRTC). APRTC is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the welfare and knowledge of developing country farmers and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.

Association for European Life Science Universities(ICA). The association brings together institutions in member states of the European Union and countries of Eastern and Central Europe. ICA 's mission is to stimulate and support its member institutions in the development of a European dimension in education and research through the development of concerted actions and in engaging globally, and to represent the general interest of its members at the European level.

Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) . ASARECA aims at increasing the efficiency of agricultural research in the region so as to facilitate economic growth, food security and export competitiveness through productive and sustainable agriculture.
 

C

CABI. The international non-profit organization provides information and applies scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Its mission and direction is influenced by member countries who help guide the activities undertaken. These include scientific publishing, development projects and research, and microbial services. 

Central Asia and Caucasus Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (CACAARI). The overall objective of CACAARI is to foster the development of agricultural research in the Central Asia and the Caucasus Region.

Centre for Agricultural Resources and International Development (CEFARD). CEFARD is a not-for-profit, non-governmental, and humanitarian organisation. CEFARD's mandate is to champion the course of global poverty alleviation through agricultural resources and developmental tools mostly in the developing nations of the world.

Centre for Learning on Sustainable Agriculture (ILEIA). ILEIA promotes exchange of information for small scale farmers in the South through identifying promising technologies involving no or only marginal external inputs, but building on local knowledge and traditional technologies and the involvement of the farmers themselves in development.

Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD). CIRAD is a French agricultural research centre working for international development.Its expertise areas include the life sciences, human sciences and engineering sciences and their application to agriculture and food, natural resource management and society.

Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical / International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). CIAT conducts research for development and is dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger while protecting natural resources in developing countries. CIAT works towards competitive agriculture, healthy agroecosystems and rural innovation.

CGMap Ongoing Research in Africa. This interactive map makes information about research projects across Africa and the CGIAR consortium accessible to staff, partners and other key stakeholders in African agricultural research. Information in the map is contributed by CGIAR scientists, who provide details of their projects, including time frame, location, key players and partners involved and contact information.

Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD). CIARD is an initiative working to make agricultural research information publicly available and accessible to all. This means working with organisations that hold information or that create new knowledge – to help them disseminate it more efficiently and make it easier to access.

Community of Practice for Pro-Poor Livestock Development (CoP-PPLD) Knowledge base. The CoP-PPLD Knowledge Base is a searchable database of materials related to livestock development.

Competence Platform on Energy Crop and Agroforestry Systems for Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems- Africa (COMPETE). The objective of this Competence Platform is to stimulate bioenergy implementation in arid and semi-arid regions in Africa. 

Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricole (CORAF/WECARD). CORAF/WECARD's vision is a sustainable reduction of poverty and food insecurity in the Western and Central African region. The organisation aims at strengthening the efficiency of small-scale farmers and promoting the agro-industry.

Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). CGIAR is a research organisation with 15 centres worldwide, working together with national institutions, NGO's and the private sector, with a mission to foster sustainable agricultural growth and sustainable food security in vulnerable communities with the aim of contributing to an overall reduction of poverty in developing countries.

Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Mega Programme 4 (MP4) - Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health. This page is the group site for the development of the Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health Mega Program. The online space will serve as the living repository for the program, particularly during the proposal development phase. In addition to hosting different versions of the proposal/concept note, the site will also serve as a repository for partner feedback, letters of support from partner organizations and contain links and documents to further information on guidelines for developing Mega Program proposals and the Strategy and Results Framework for the CGIAR.

E

e-Agriculture.org. e-Agriculture.org is a global initiative to enhance sustainable agricultural development and food security by improving the use of information, communication, and associated technologies in the sector.

European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development (AGRINATURA). Agrinatura is the result of the merger between NATURA, the former association of European universities dealing with agricultural research and education for development, and ECART, the consortium of European institutions working in agricultural research for development, in order to capitalize on their respective strengths and expertise.

European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD)

European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD). EIARD's purpose is to enhance the appropriateness and effectiveness of European investments in agricultural research for development at national, regional and international levels both in Europe and developing countries. 

European Information System on Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD-InfoSys). EARD-InfoSys+ aims at improving the access to European web resources in the areas of agriculture, environment, forestry, fisheries, socio-economics, rural-transformation and others devoted towards development. It aims at creating an information and communication platform, as service for a multitude of institutions and parties in Europe involved in scientific development cooperation.

European Commission - Agriculture and Rural Development - Environment - Genetic resources. This is a community programme under the European Commission on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture promoting genetic diversity and the exchange of information and facilitating co-ordination in the field of international undertakings on genetic resources.

F

FAO - Biotechnology. This is the FAO website dedicated to biotechnology in agriculture and food. The website gives access to FAO documents and activities.

FAO - Fisheries. The website hosts information on FAO programmes and fisheries worldwide. It provides information on fisheries statistics and fisheries resouces, ecosystems, fisheries technology, fisheries governance and utilisation and trade.

FAO Glossary of Biotechnology for Food and Agriculture. The Multilingual Glossary provides a convenient reference source for researchers, students, technicians and translators and it can also be of value in discussions at intergovernmental level. It provides consolidated, comprehensive, up-to-date and accessible list of terms and acronyms used regularly in biotechnology and its application to food and agriculture.

FAO – ILO website “Food, Agriculture and Decent Work”. The website was launched by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in June 2008 and intends to give visibility to FAO-ILO’s collaboration, highlighting the linkages between employment, rural development and food security.

Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN). FANRPAN is a Southern African network organisation that promotes food, agriculture and natural resources (FANR) policies through research, analysis and dialogue at the national, regional and global levels.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The FAO website gives access to information on FAO programmes and policies and analysis related to agriculture, fisheries, forestry and natural resources, as well as food security and emergency situations and response.

Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). FARA is an umbrella organization bringing together and forming coalitions of major stakeholders involved in agricultural research and development as well as being engaged in advocacy and coordination work related to agricultural research for development.

Future Agricultures. The Future Agricultures Consortium aims to encourage critical debate and policy dialogue on the future of agriculture in Africa. The Consortium is a partnership between research-based organisations in Africa and the UK, with work currently focusing on Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi.

G

Gateway to Farm Animal Welfare. New internet portal launched by FAO in May 2009, designed to provide a reliable information conduit on legislation and research findings in the sector, as well as on animal welfare standards, practices and policies.

Global Agricultural Research Archive. This new archive from CABI aims to archive agricultural knowledge on behalf of developing countries around the world.This pilot database currently contains over 2,700 full text records from CABI's institutional partners in Malawi, Pakistan and the Philippines and from the 2008 IAALD conference on agricultural information and IT.

Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture (GCHERA). Consortium is to foster global cooperation for the improvement of higher education and research for agriculture as a prerequisite to solving the food security and environmental problems confronting our world.

GRAIN. GRAIN is an international non-governmental organisation which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people's control over genetic resources and local knowledge.

H

HarvestChoice. HarvestChoice generates knowledge products to help guide strategic investments to improve the well-being of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia through more productive and profitable farming.

I

ICT for Rural Development. Knowledge Map commissioned by the World Bank Information for Development Program (infoDev) to address the problem of knowledge about how ICT can contribute to improved livelihoods of the rural poor being fragmented and not easily accessible to governments, donors, practitioners and researchers.  

ICT-KM Program. The ICT-KM Program of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) promotes and supports the use of information and communications technology (ICT) and knowledge management (KM) to improve the effectiveness of the CGIAR System's work on behalf of the poor in developing countries. 

Improved Management of Agricultural Water in Eastern and Southern Africa (IMAWESA). IMAWESA seeks to contribute to poverty reduction through improved policy, institutions, practices and performance of smallholder management of agricultural water in Africa.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ICAR is an organisation under the ministry of agriculture in India. It is the main body coordinating and managing research and education related to agriculture, a.o. horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in India.

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) . The Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) is a leading research and teaching centre based at the University of Western Cape (UWC) in Cape Town. Research areas include chronic poverty, land reform and agrarian change including land grabbing, natural resource management and marine resources and fishing rights.

Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC). The Institutional Learning and Change Initiative is an evolving community of individuals committed to increasing the contributions of agricultural research to sustainable poverty reduction.

Interactive 43-Nation Guide on What to Plant, When and Where. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a Crop Calendar. It provides information about sowing and planting seasons and agronomic practices of the crops grown by farmers in a particular agro-ecological zone. Furthermore, the Crop Calendar can serve as a quick reference tool in selecting crop varieties to adapt to changing weather patterns accelerated by climate change.

International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC)ICC is an independent, internationally recognized organisation of experts dedicated to international cooperation and to the dissemination of up-to-date knowledge in the field of cereal science and technology.

International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD). IAALD members are drawn from research and development institutes, international agencies, universities and colleges, government departments, information providers, non-governmental organisations and the private sector. The mission of IAALD is to enable the members to create, capture, access and disseminate information to achieve a more productive and sustainable use of the world's land, water, and renewable natural resources.

International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). ICGEB is dedicated to advanced research and training in molecular biology and biotechnology, with special regard to the needs of the developing world.

International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS). ICROFS is established by the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries by June 1, 2008. ICROFS replaces and is an expansion of the former centre DARCOF, which the Danish Government decided to give an international mandate and an international board with members from Africa, Asia, America and Europe. 

International Collective in Support of Fisherworkers (ICSF). The ICSF is an international non-governmental organisation that works towards the establishment of equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries. The website includes a sub-site on the EU's reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). IFOAM is the umbrella organisation for different organic agricultural organisations worldwide. IFOAM brings together different stakeholders and actively participates in international agricultural and environmental negotiations with the United Nations and multilateral institutions to further the interests of the organic agricultural movement.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). IITA seeks to to enhance food security and improve livelihoods in Africa through research-for-development (R4D). IITA works with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture.

International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). The ISHS, dating from 1864 and formally constituted in 1959, has more than 6000 members representing 146 countries. It is the world's leading independent organization of horticultural scientists and publisher of Acta Horticulturae, Chronica Horticulturae, and Scripta Horticulturae.

J

Journal of Agriculture and Food Systems Community Development (JAFSCD). New online, international, peer-reviewed journal focused on applied research and best practices in the development of thriving farming communities and sustainable food systems. 

K

Knowledge for development.This website supports the policy dialogue on S&T for agricultural and rural development in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. It enables the ACP scientific community - primarily agricultural research and development scientists and technologists, policy makers, farmers and other stakeholders and actors - to share and review results of national and regional efforts and collaborate to harness science and technology for the development of agriculture in their countries.

L

Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) website. LEGS have been developed as a set of international guidelines and standards for the design, implementation and assessment of livestock interventions to assist people affected by humanitarian crises.

Livestock Production Programme (LPP). LPP was a DFID-funded programme, which ended in 2006. LPP research focussed on livestock practices and pastoralist livelihoods in predominantly East Africa and India. Project documents and publications can be accessed via the website.

N

New Agriculturist. The New Agriculturist is an online publication, featuring articles, reports and other relevant news relating to agriculture in the South. The New Agriculturist is the output of a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

P

Platform for African–European Partnerships for Agricultural Research and Development (PAEPARD). The FARA Secretariat, EFARD, NATURA and the European Commission have recognised that they could have more impact if they aligned their research institutions with African priorities and agendas.  PAEPARD is a sustained partnership that mobilises resources for priority projects that combine African and European institutional and financial resources for mutually advantageous projects. 

Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD) Phase II. PAEPARD II is to build joint African-European multi-stakeholder partnerships in agricultural research for development. It nurtures partnerships to increase the quantity and quality of joint proposals. PAEPARD II not only focuses on FP7, but includes other European Commission (EDF, EC Budget through the FSTP) and bilateral funding instruments supporting ARD that might be mobilized for emerging ARD partnerships.

Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research (PAR). The Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research seeks to improve the maintenance and use of agrobiodiversity by synthesizing and sharing existing knowledge, identifying areas where research is needed and stimulating the development of new research partnerships.

Preserving the diversity of genetic resources in agriculture. Up-dated web site of DG AGRI (European Commission) on genetic resources in agriculture in Europe, including the 17 actions co-funded by the new Community programme. 

PROLINNOVA - PROmoting Local INNOVAtion in ecologically-oriented agriculture and natural resource management. Prolinnova is an NGO-initiated programme to build a global learning network to promote local innovation in ecologically-oriented agriculture and NRM.

R

Regional Agricultural and Environment Initiatives Network–Africa (RAEIN-Africa) is a Southern African network organisation that promotes participatory development of appropriate science and technology and S&T policies for sustainable management of the environment and agricultural production systems. It does so by facilitating creation of partnerships between government, civil society, and end user groups, supporting need driven development oriented research and all inclusive policy development processes.

Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (Fontagro). Fontagro is a regional alliance of Latin American and Carribean countries established to support research in the agricultural sector. Fontagro promotes the sustainable management of natural resources, the competitiveness of agri-food chains and the reduction of poverty.

Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS). Website featuring interactive spatial data and charts of the latest agricultural development data for African countries and regions.

Regoverning Markets - Small-Scale producers in Modern Agrofood markets. This website contains documents, reports, conference minutes etc. from the Regoverning Markets programme (2005-2007), which was established to provide strategic advice to the public sector, agri-food chain actors, development agencies etc. with regards to the rapid changes happening in agri-food markets and industries in middle and low-income countries.

RUAF Foundation - Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security. The RUAF Foundation functions as a global network of 6 regional organisations that share a common vision on urban development and poverty reduction and together implement an international programme focussed on urban agriculture and food security.

S

SAARC AgriNet. SAARC AgriNet is the Regional Agricultural Information Network of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Agriculture Centre. It is a network for individuals, institutions and information in the field of agriculture and allied subjects in the SAARC region.

Standards as Rules of Trade (START) Policy and Research Network. The START Policy and Research Network seeks to bring together a body of researchers from developed and developing countries who work in the area of agro-food standards and trade.
It acts as a catalyst for exchanging research findings and contributing to the process of formulating policy options and trade negotiation positions for a range of actors in developing countries, including governments, firms and labour organisations. 

Sustainable Agriculture Information Network (Sustainet). The netowrk is an initiative funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by other organisations to to support the scaling up of examples of good practice in sustainable agriculture.

Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas). Formas is a governmental research-funding agency related to several ministries, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Affairs, and the Ministry of Education, Research and Culture. Formas encourages and supports scientifically significant research related to sustainable development.

Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research (SFIAR). SFIAR is an information platform on agricultural research for development.

T

Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (ACP-EU). CTA is an ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific ) - EU institution working in the field of information for development. It operates under the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement to strengthen policy and institutional capacity development and information and communication management capacities of ACP agricultural and rural development organisations.

Technology for Agriculture (TECA). TECA is an FAO initiative that aims at improving access to information and knowledge about available proven technologies in order to enhance their adoption in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry; contributing to food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable development. 

Terra Viva Grants. Develops and manages information about grants for agriculture, energy, environment, and natural resources in the world's developing countries.

The Global Livestock Production and Health Atlas (GLiPHA). GLiPHA is a highly interactive electronic atlas produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) that provides a scaleable overview of spatial and temporal variation in quantitative information related to animal production and health.

The Kilimo Trust. The Kilimo Trust collects and disseminates information on agricultural research and development in Eastern Africa. The mission of the organisation is to expand market-led sustainable agriculture for development in the region.

The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). The Centre is supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The Centre generates science-based knowledge about the complex role that trees play in agricultural landscapes, and uses its research to ensure that policies and practices benefit the poor and the environment.

U

Urban Harvest. Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) initiative to direct and coordinate the collective knowledge and technologies of the Future Harvest Centers towards strengthening urban and peri-urban agriculture.

W

World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Techniologies (WOCAT). WOCAT is a network of soil and water conservation specialists from all over the world. WOCAT is organised as a consortium of national and international institutions and operates in a decentralised manner. This means that it is carried out through initiatives at regional and national levels, with backstopping from experienced members of the consortium.