The Advisory Service on Agricultural Research
for Development (Beratungsgruppe Entwicklungsorientierte Agrarforschung)
is a project implemented by the GTZ on behalf of the German Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). BEAF
advises BMZ on all issues related to international agricultural
research for development with the aim of increasing food security
and improving the sustainable use of natural resources in developing
countries.
BEAF is a multidisciplinary group that receives
the support of members of public and private research organisations,
NGOs and specialised organisations on cooperation for development.
http://www.beaf.de/
FIDAMERICA
FIDAMERICA is a network that aims at improving
the efficiency of projects on rural poverty reduction supported
by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting and facilitating
communication, learning and knowledge management processes.
FIDAMERICA is formed by all the projects and programmes
co-financed by IFAD in Latin America and the Caribbean. All public
and private organisations that share the objectives of FIDAMERICA
are welcome to participate in the network's activities.
http://www.fidamerica.cl
FIDAMERCOSUR
REGIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY - FONTAGRO
The Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology
(FONTAGRO) is a consortium to promote strategic agricultural research
of regional interest with the direct participation of Latin American
and Caribbean countries in securing priorities and financing research
projects.
The purpose of FONTAGRO is to promote the agricultural
sector's increase in competitiveness while ensuring the sustainable
management of natural resources and reducing poverty in the region,
through the generation of agricultural technologies with international
public goods characteristics, and by facilitating the exchange
of scientific knowledge among research organisations within the
region, as well as with other regions.
The Fund's objectives imply the creation of a
sustainable financing mechanism (capital fund) and a discussion
forum on priority issues concerning technological innovation,
thus strengthening the role of countries in the definition of
the regional research agenda. In addition, the Fund contributes
to increase the research basis in order to successfully face the
regional challenges of technological research that require multidisciplinary
approaches to strengthen participation and decision-making of
countries in terms of agricultural research activities of regional
priority.
The members of FONTAGRO are: Argentina, Bolivia,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay,
Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Venezuela and the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC).
http://www.fontagro.org/index.htm
FONTAGRO projects: http://www.fontagro.org/projects.htm
CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH -
CGIAR
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR) is a strategic alliance of countries, international
and regional organisations, and private foundations supporting
15 international agricultural centres that work with national
agricultural research systems and civil society organisations
including the private sector. The alliance mobilises agricultural
science to reduce poverty, foster human well being, promote agricultural
growth and protect the environment.
The CGIAR was created in 1971. Today more than
8,500 CGIAR scientists and staff are working in over 100 countries
(http://www.cgiar.org/members/index.html). CGIAR research addresses
every critical component of the agricultural sector including
- agro forestry, biodiversity, food, forage and tree crops, pro-environment
farming techniques, fisheries, forestry, etc. In addition, the
amount of research has evolved and the focus is no longer the
increase of specific crops. Nowadays, the focus is on research
on environment and biodiversity as key components in the attempt
to increase sustainable agricultural productivity.
The CGIAR alliance is open to all countries and
organisations sharing a commitment to a common research agenda
and willing to invest financial support, and human and technical
resources. On the other hand, the CGIAR's achievements would not
be possible without the support and commitment of the 63 members
and many hundreds of partner organisations who together form the
CGIAR alliance.
The centres that receive funding from CGIAR are
autonomous institutions which created "Future Harvest",
an organisation engaged in providing resources for international
agricultural research. The 15 Future Harvest Centres are independent
autonomous institutions. Each of them has its own constitution
charter, board of directors, director general and personnel. In
Latin America, these centres are located in Mexico, Peru and Colombia.
http://www.cgiar.org
PROGRAM FOR THE SUPPORT OF RURAL MICRO ENTERPRISES IN LATIN
AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN - PROMER
The Program for the Support of Rural Micro Enterprises
in Latin America and the Caribbean (Programa de Apoyo a la Microempresa
Rural en América Latina y el Caribe - PROMER) is an initiative
promoted and financed by the United Nations International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD.) This development programme
was established four years ago to support rural micro entrepreneurs
and small producers of the LAC region. During this time, it has
developed a broad network of agreements with several agencies
and institutions linked to rural development and it has co-financed
a significant number of support initiatives for its target population.
It is a Core Regional Program in the modernisation
and improvement of competitiveness for rural micro entrepreneurs
and small producers and it intends to become a technical referent
to support IFAD's Projects and Rural Micro-enterprises.
It also seeks to continue with IFAD's commitment
to fight poverty and improve the quality of living in our countries'
rural areas by working with micro entrepreneurs, small producers,
women, youth and ethnic minorities who are employed or wish to
be employed in a micro-enterprise on a self-employment basis.
Training activities focus on the development and
strengthening of entrepreneurial capacities of small producers
and rural micro entrepreneurs, in order to improve the competitiveness
of their undertakings and ensure their sustainability in different
markets. PROMER has given top priority to those actions that focus
on the removal of obstacles faced by small rural agricultural
producers and rural micro entrepreneurs in their access to broader
and profitable markets for their products and services.
PROMER tries to facilitate appropriate resources
for IFAD projects to identify and make specific technical assistance
requests and implement mechanisms to facilitate information and
knowledge dissemination through a set of instruments aimed at
a highly heterogeneous target population -both in terms of their
needs and characteristics - thus catering for the information
needs concerning rural micro-enterprises in Latin America and
the Caribbean.
http://www.promer.org/seccion.php?seccion=10
REGIONAL UNIT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE - RUTA
Ruta is an organisation integrated by governments
and agencies of international cooperation for sustainable rural
development in the Central American Isthmus. Its mission implies
contributing to rural sustainable growth and reducing poverty
in Central America, through the development of national and regional
capacities with the shared effort of governments, civil societies
and member agencies.
The Project was established in 1980 as the Regional
Unit of Technical Assistance: RUTA. It received funding from agencies
such as IFAD, UNDP, IICA, IDB and the World Bank. This last institution
was selected as the executor of the Project and it continues to
have that role. From the Project's origin, RUTA's working priorities
have adapted to the demands and needs of Governments, member agencies
and organisations linked to rural development in the Central American
Isthmus. By the end of 1999, member agencies and the CAC (Central
American Agricultural Council) approved a new stage of the Project
and the United Kingdom Government became a partner, through the
Department for International Development (DFID).
The organisation promotes shared interests between
governments of the Central American Isthmus and member agencies
in order to turn them into real actions in the achievement of
one of its main objectives: contributing to a more competitive
agriculture in a rural environment with less poverty and more
opportunities, considering the sustainable management of natural
resources.
http://www.ruta.org/
