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Agency overview | |
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Jurisdiction | Commonwealth Government |
Headquarters | Canberra, ACT, Australia |
Employees | 80 [1] |
Minister responsible |
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Agency executive |
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Website | www |
Footnotes | |
Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio |
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is an Australian Government statutory agency that forms part of the overseas aid program in the Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio, reporting to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ACIAR was established under the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Act 1982 [2] (the ACIAR Act), as amended, to identify agricultural problems in developing problems and brokers Australian agricultural scientists to find solutions. [3]
In 1976 Sir John Crawford recommended the Australian Government set-up and fund an independent International Research Assistance Foundation in Australia [4] in a report tabled in the Australian Parliament.
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 1981, the Australian Government announced it would establish an agricultural research centre charged with contracting research to Australian institutions in the field of agriculture and related disciplines for the benefit of developing countries.
On 3 June 1982, ACIAR formally came into being when the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Act 1982 (the ACIAR Act) was passed. Sir John Crawford was appointed as the first chairman of its Board of Management, with Professor Jim McWilliam appointed as the first Director.
The first projects supported by ACIAR commenced in 1983. [5]
The mission of ACIAR is to enhance the effects of Australia's agricultural science expertise by establishing and funding partnerships for agricultural research aimed at development in developing nations. ACIAR collaborates with both public and private research entities to boost the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural practices and to fortify the food systems' resilience across the Indo-Pacific partner countries. ACIAR is guided by a 10-Year Strategy that focuses strongly on issues to improve food security and reduce poverty. [6]
The ACIAR research portfolio encompasses:
ACIAR aims to contribute to poverty reduction and improved regional security with partner countries in the Pacific, East and South-East Asia, South Asia and Eastern and Southern Africa.
ACIAR develops the foundational knowledge supporting 6 key development goals:
ACIAR also manages Australia's investment in the international agricultural research system, chief among which is the CGIAR. ACIAR represents Australia on the CGIAR System Council, and Australians occupy a number of leadership positions across the CGIAR network.
To promote and support collaborative research initiatives that progress six strategic objectives, ACIAR also provides research support to other multilateral institutions, including:
ACIAR develops and manages co-investment alliances and partnerships with like-minded organisations to foster and implement global research collaborations that support strategic development in agriculture, fisheries and forestry including the:
ACIAR supports the following initiatives through global research collaborations:
The head office for ACIAR is located at ACIAR House in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
Professor Wendy Umberger is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Umberger was appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in July 2023 and is the first woman to lead the agency and its seventh CEO since the organisation was established in 1982. [15]
On commencement of her leadership in August 2023, Umberger acknowledged the strong position of ACIAR in contributing to transforming global agrifood systems. Umberger reaffirmed the agency's commitment to working with international and Australian research partner organisations and agencies to further strengthen the research partnerships needed to underpin sustainable agrifood systems. [16]
The Commission for International Agricultural Research was established under Section 7 of the ACIAR Act 1982. Its functions are to provide advice to the Foreign Minister on the formulation of agricultural research programs and policies to identify agricultural problems and find solutions in developing countries. [17]
The commissioners for the period 17 September 2023 to 16 September 2026 are: [18]
The Policy Advisory Council (the council) was established under Section 17 of the ACIAR Act 1982. The council provides advice to the Foreign Minister regarding agricultural problems of developing countries, and programs and policies for agricultural research that identify agricultural problems and/or find solutions to agricultural problems in developing countries. [19]
The current[ when? ] board appointments are:[ citation needed ]
ACIAR contributes to sustainable economic growth and enhanced regional stability within the Indo-Pacific, with a particular focus on economic diplomacy and women's economic empowerment.
Examples of ACIAR research that has been applied to improve the livelihoods of farmers both in partner countries and in Australia:
ACIAR has made a significant contribution to meeting the complex challenges of growing more food, reducing poverty and improving biosecurity in the Indo-Pacific region. [20] Over this time ACIAR has committed to assessing impact and where possible, quantifying the achievements of Australian and international research partners. A 2022 impact assessment of the research funded by ACIAR since its inception outlined the total benefit of projects is estimated at $64.4 billion with a benefit: cost ratio of 43:1. [21]
The John Allwright Fellowship and John Dillion Fellowship provides the opportunity for partner country scientists involved in ACIAR-supported research projects to obtain postgraduate qualifications at Australian tertiary institutions. The fellowships are administered through the Australia Awards. [22]
The Meryl Williams Fellowship is s leadership program that aims to strengthen the leadership and management skills of women working in agricultural research for development in the Indo-Pacific and is administered through the University of New England. [23]
The Pacific Agriculture Scholarships and Support (PASS) Program provides scholarships and support to postgraduate students in agriculture, forestry and fisheries at The University of the South Pacific and Fiji National University. ACIAR also supports training activities delivered by the Crawford Fund including the Master Class and Training Program, a program of online mentoring linking agricultural researchers from developing countries with mentors in Australia, and the next-gen suite of activities designed to build interest in careers in international agricultural research.[ citation needed ]
The Pacific Community (PC), formerly the South Pacific Commission (SPC), is an international development organisation governed by 27 members, including 22 Pacific island countries and territories around the Pacific Ocean. The organisation's headquarters are in Nouméa, New Caledonia, and it has regional offices in Suva, Pohnpei, and Port Vila, as well as field staff in other locations in the Pacific. Its working languages are English and French. It primarily provides technical and scientific advice, and acts as a conduit for funding of development projects from donor nations. Unlike the slightly smaller Pacific Islands Forum, PaciCom is not a trade bloc, and does not deal with military or security issues.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a nonprofit organization that works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture, with the ultimate goals of reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. IITA's research-for-development (R4D) focuses on addressing the development needs of tropical countries. The institute was established in 1967 and headquarters located in Ibadan, Nigeria, with several research stations spread across Africa. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, supported by several countries and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
The International Development Research Centre is a Canadian federal Crown corporation. As part of Canada's foreign affairs and development efforts, IDRC champions and funds research and innovation within and alongside developing regions to drive global change. IDRC invests in high-quality research in developing countries, shares knowledge with researchers and policymakers for greater uptake and use, and mobilizes global alliances to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international agricultural research and training organization with its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, in the Philippines, and offices in seventeen countries. IRRI is known for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed to the Green Revolution in the 1960s which preempted the famine in Asia.
CGIAR is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security. CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food security, improve human health and nutrition, and sustainable management of natural resources.
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is a non-profit scientific research organization that conducts research on the use and management of forests with a focus on tropical forests in developing countries. CIFOR, which merged with World Agroforestry on Jan. 1, 2019, is the forestry and agroforestry research center of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a network of 15 research centers around the world that focus on agricultural research for sustainable development, working closely with governments and other partners to help develop evidence-based solutions to problems related to sustainable agriculture and natural resource management.
Sir John Grenfell Crawford was an agricultural economist and a key architect of Australia's post-war growth.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is an international agricultural research center that provides research-based policy solutions to reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition throughout the developing world in environmentally sustainable ways. For nearly 50 years, IFPRI has worked with policymakers, academics, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, development practitioners, and others to carry out research, capacity strengthening, and policy communications on food systems, economic development, and poverty reduction.
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), a member of CGIAR, supported by the CGIAR Fund, is a non-profit agricultural research institute that aims to improve the livelihoods of the resource-poor across the world's dry areas.
The Crawford Fund, established as an initiative of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) in 1987, is a national support organisation for international agricultural research.
Rajendra Singh Paroda is an Indian agricultural scientist. He was the former Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Government of India. He was the general president of the Indian Science Congress Association during 2000-2001 and the president of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) from 1998 to 2000. He was elected as the first chairman of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), FAO, Rome from 1998 to 2001. He served as an executive secretary of the Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) based at FAO Regional Office, Bangkok since 1992. He also served as the chairman, board of trustees, ICRISAT, Hyderabad, member of IRRI Board, Los Banos, Philippines and was a member of Advisory Council of Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Canberra, and the Commonwealth Agriculture Bureau International (CABI), London.
Bioversity International is a global research-for-development organization that delivers scientific evidence, management practices and policy options to use and safeguard agricultural biodiversity to attain global food- and nutrition security, working with partners in low-income countries in different regions where agricultural biodiversity can contribute to improved nutrition, resilience, productivity and climate change adaptation. In 2019, Bioversity International joined with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture to "deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people's lives". Both institutions are members of the CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.
The net-map toolbox is a social network analysis tool that uses interviews and mapping to help people understand, visualize, discuss, and improve situations in which many different actors influence outcomes. Social network analysis is a research approach used by scholars such as S.D. Berkowitz, Stephen Borgatti, Ronald Burt, Linton Freeman, Mark Granovetter, Nicholas Mullins, Anatol Rapoport, Stanley Wasserman, Barry Wellman, and Harrison White to better understand the implications of the position of individual actors in a social structure.
The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR) is an independent intergovernmental organization established in 1997 to develop and promote innovative solutions to poverty and environmental sustainability using bamboo and rattan.
The Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) focuses on agricultural research and extension in irrigated rice-based ecosystems. In partnership with national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) and the private sector, the IRRC provides a platform for the dissemination and adoption of natural resource management (NRM) technologies in Asian countries. The IRRC is currently active in 11 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. It aims to strengthen NARES-driven interdisciplinary research, link research and extension, facilitate rice farmers' uptake of technological innovations, and enable environmentally sound rice production to expand to feed growing populations.
Bilateral relations exist between Australia and Kenya. Both Australia and Kenya were formerly part of the British Empire, although not simultaneously, and are current member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. As of 2020, both Commonwealth nations have maintained bilateral relations for 55 years.
The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI) is an autonomous institute of higher learning, established under the umbrella of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India for advanced research in the field of soil sciences. The institute is located on Kachawa Road in Karnal, in the state of Haryana, 125 km (78 mi) from the Indian capital of New Delhi.
Robyn Gwen Alders AO is the first female veterinary scientist to be made an Officer of the Order of Australia. Dr. Alders is most recognised for her work on food security by improvements in poultry health in developing countries. Alders' work on the maintenance of the health of small poultry flocks helps under-resourced women to provide adequate nutritional and financial support for their families.
Joseph H. Hulse (1923–2013) was a Canadian biochemist, food technologist, writer, and the president of the International Union of Food Science and Technology. He chaired the Committee of the Canadian chapter of the Freedom From Hunger, presided over the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology and was the assistant director of nutrition at the Food and Agriculture Organization, besides serving as the vice president of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). He was the author of several texts and monographs on nutrition and allied sciences, including a 991-page treatise, Sorghum and the Millets: Their Composition and Nutritive Value. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2008, for his contributions to Science and for his humanitarian activities in India.
James Charles Ingram was an Australian diplomat, philanthropist and author whose career culminated in his post as the eighth executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), a position which he occupied for ten years.