1. Coordinating policies to facilitate partnership and increase impact
The European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD)
Coordinating policies to facilitate partnership and increase impact
Philippe Petithuguenin
EIARD Executive Secretary
European Commission
DG Research and Innovation
FAO-EPSO consultation
Rome, June 2012

2. Structure of Presentation
  What is EIARD.
Some insights on the priorities of European ARD funders.
Concluding remarks.

3. 1/ What is EIARD ? EIARD is A permanent coordination platform
EIARD is
A permanent coordination platform
between the European States and the European Commission
on supports and policies in the area of Agricultural Research for Development (ARD).

4. What is EIARD ? Origin of EIARD
In 1995, the European Commission presented a Working Paper to the European Council proposing an European initiative on international agricultural research for development (EIARD). The Initiative was launched in Vienna in October 1995, during a high level ministerial meeting of the European States and the European Commission.
In 1997, a Communication of the European Commission on EIARD (COM(97)126) was recognised by the Council and European Parliament. 
In November 2008, a renewed EIARD startegy was approved by all members. (see

5. What is EIARD ? EIARD’s Members & Representatives
EIARD Members are :
The EU Member States (the most active are Au, Be, F, Fi, G, Ir, It, Lx, NL, Pt, Sp, Sw, Uk) plus Norway & Switzerland.
The European Commission
EIARD Member States representatives are ARD policy makers from Ministries of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation, Ministries of Research, and Ministries of Agriculture, and their advisers (research agencies or universities).
EIARD European Commission representatives are from Directorate Generals DEVCO and RTD.

6. Areas of work of EIARD The four areas of work are:
Facilitation of the ARD related decision making process by EIARD members.
Advocacy role to promote ARD in Europe and abroad, and the visibility of Europe in the ARD area
Effective exchange and management of information on European ARD in support of policy making and research partnerships.
Formulation of European policies and strategies on ARD issues, and coordination of their implementation.

7. Example of outputs
Formulation of European policies and strategies on ARD issues, and coordination of their implementation.
As the largest grouping of donors to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), EIARD is coordinating the European financial support, providing annually over 200 M€ (36% of CGIAR total budget; 51% of the CGIAR Fund), and the European representation in the CGIAR Fund Council (4 seats attributed to European donors)

8. EIARD and the European ARD landscape
European coordination mechanisms for
International Agricultural Research
Civil Society, Private Sector,
National Fora,

9. 2/ Priorities of European ARD funders
The European ARD area has four main characteristics
Europe provides the majority of funding for global-ARD through bilateral and multilateral channels: EU represents 60% of world ODA, and is the largest donor for agricultural development in Africa. Of this ODA to agriculture in Africa, about 30% goes to research !
Europe provides in-kind contribution to the international ARD systems through its research and academic organisations.
At the same time Europe wants to continue to be a beneficiary of international agricultural research for development for the so-called "one-world issues". This influences its thematic and partnership choices: research on climate change and agriculture (JPI FACCE), on plant & animal diseases and pandemics (Mediterranean region, Africa and Asia)…
As pointed out by the European consultation for GCARD, ARD is relevant for issues of particular concern to poor smallholder farmers in Eastern Europe.

10. The European ARD area: recent trends among EIARD members
Budgetary constraints in (nearly) all European countries, sometimes leading to reduction in ODA budget.
Institutional changes, for improving coherence (and for economy of scale ?).
For instance, Agreenium (Cirad + Inra + higher level education in agricultural sciences) in France, GIZ (GTZ+DED+INWENT) in Germany (approved end of Dec 2010), DEVCO (DEV + AIDCO) in the E Commission.
Several countries have engaged or recently concluded a revision of their ARD policy (Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Finland, EC). It often leads to a more focussed policy (reduced number of themes and/or target countries),

11. Recent trends: what is clear……
IMPACT: ARD should deliver impact on the MDGs.
The emphasis on INNOVATION, on ENABLING ENVIRONMENT, on MULTISTAHOLDERS APPROACHES.
Growing interest in NUTRITION (stunted children, chronic diseases) and AGRO-ECOLOGICAL INTENSIFICATION.
Better connect EDUCATION and research.
SIMPLIFICATION and REDUCTION of ADMINISTRATIVE COST: Donors seek simplification of disbursement (MDTF, larger projects) and joint monitoring.
NEW FUNDING INSTRUMENTS linking different categories of donors are being tested. Examples from UK: joint call DFID+BBSRC.
In coherence with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, align with national (or regional) development strategies -> Growing recognition for the role of GFAR (and the GCARD process) and for the CAADP in the case of Africa.

12. …and what is not !
Lack of consensus on some ARD issues: do we need more research or do we have enough "lying on the shelf"? Will the biotechnologies "save the day"? How outdated are the green revolution solutions? Is it sufficient to invest in research on global issues to produce useful knowledge for developing countries, or is it necessary to have specific research "for development" programmes?
How to collaborate with emerging countries and with private foundation?
(example of DFID support to the “Brazil-Africa Market Place”, or negotiation with BMGF for co-funding).
Could other financial instruments, like existing carbon market or instruments still under discussion (like Tobin tax), also channel funds to support ARD?
How to shift from an “Aid” paradigm to an “economic partnership” paradigm, with stronger role for the private sector? Can the two be combined? (cf recent G8 support to the "Grow Africa" initiative)

13. 3/ Conclusion Members of EIARD are convinced that
- Europe can surely contribute far more to research partnerships with developing countries, especially if Europe can better "bridge" Agricultural research with agricultural research for development, and the academic community with the development community.
- Food security is not only, nor primarily, a "production" issue but a "poverty" issue and a "nutrition" issue (availability / access/ utilisation). Agriculture has to be considered not only from a supply/demand but from a green growth and livelihoods perspective, and from an environmental services perspective.
This consideration for economic factors and for the need to manage/save/enhance natural resources is central to recent policy documents like the EC Communication on the Bioeconomy (March 2012) and the FAO report "save and grow" (June 2011).

14. Thank you very much for your attention!
Contacts:
DG RTD/ Unit E4,
European Commission, Brussels