Partners | Agrinatura

The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) is an organisation created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. It is composed of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific states, with all of them, save Cuba, signatories to the Cotonou Agreement, also known as the "ACP-EC Partnership Agreement" which binds them to the European Union. There are 48 countries from Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 from the Caribbean and 15 from the Pacific.

The AU is made up of 55 Member States which represent all the countries on the African continent. AU Member States are divided into five geographic regions. which were defined by the OAU in 1976.

African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) is a worldwide platform for sharing learning and innovation among agricultural extension and advisory services providers across Africa. AFAAS operates through multi-stakeholder country fora that support public and private actors in the national agricultural innovation systems.

ATSAF is a scientific society for internationally oriented agricultural and ecosystem research in Germany. ATSAF brings together scientists and development experts from the fields of agricultural sciences, ecology, veterinary medicine, nutrition, forestry, fisheries and other basic disciplines with a focus on development-oriented research for countries in the tropics, subtropics and transition regions. ATSAF informs, promotes multidisciplinary research, networks members with cooperation partners, increases public awareness, intensifies communication, takes a stand and creates identity for all those interested in these issues, especially students and young scientists. ATSAF actively supports the yearly Tropentag, supports students interested in science journalism, awards congress travel grants, initiates expert discussions, and forms competence teams.

CTA is a joint institution operating under the framework of the Cotonou Agreement between the ACP Group of States (Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific) and the EU Member States (European Union). CTA is funded by the European Union. CTA’s activities contribute directly toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with specific focus on: Goal 1 No poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere. Goal 2 Zero hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Goal 5 Gender equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Goal 8 Decent work and economic growth: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Goal 13 Climate action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. CTA’s headquarters are located in Wageningen, the Netherlands. An additional branch is located in Brussels, Belgium. CTA is primarily funded by the European Development Fund but receives additionally funding through a diverse set of international partners. CTA is active in 79 ACP countries.

The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU. The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) manages funding for education, culture, audiovisual, sport, citizenship and volunteering.

EFARD is an umbrella network of European research and non- research stakeholders from public and private European organisations and the European Commission. EFARD aims to strengthen the contribution of European Agricultural Research for Development (ARD) to poverty alleviation, food security, nutrition and sustainable development in developing countries by providing a platform for strategic dialogue among European stakeholder groups and building research and innovation partnerships between European and Southern ARD communities.

The European Initiative on International Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD) is a permanent Agricultural Research for Development (ARD) policy coordination platform, recognised in 1997 by a Communication of the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament. EIARD's aim is to promote and implement coherent European policies at international, regional and sub-regional levels in order to increase the impact of ARD on poverty reduction, food security and sustainable management of natural resources in developing countries. In all its activities, EIARD promotes six guiding principles: •Alignment: European support to ARD is aligned with ARD policies, strategies and priorities in the south. •Relevance: Demand-driven ARD is defined by southern partners and takes into account the social, economic and cultural conditions in partner countries. •Complementarity: Continental/sub-continental ARD cooperation is supported among partner countries where this is demonstrably cost-efficient and relevant. ARD support complements and adds value to existing bilateral actions by European states. •Subsidiarity: ARD activities are proportionate to the objectives to be achieved and planned and executed at the lowest possible levels at which they can be carried out effectively. •Partnerships: European supports to ARD seek to promote partnerships, equity and balanced management responsibilities among partners in the South and in Europe. •Participation: Collaboration amongst all stakeholders is necessary to make research relevant to and for end-users.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.

The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is the apex continental organization responsible for coordinating and advocating for agricultural research for development (AR4D). FARA serves as the technical arm of the Africa Union Commission on matters concerning agriculture science, technology and innovation. FARA was conceived in the late 1990s by a core group of committed champions, including both African scientists and enlightened donor aid officials, who believed in agriculture’s potential to lift the continent from poverty, yet realized that this would only be achieved if the continent’s weak and fragmented agricultural research systems could somehow be brought together and strengthened under a common banner. FARA was then voted into existence in 1997 by the Sub-Regional Organizations, including CORAF/WECARD, ASARECA and SADC-FANR, at the 17th Plenary of the Special Programme for African Agricultural Research (SPAAR), a precursor organization to FARA, situated within the World Bank. FARA serves as the entry point for agricultural research initiatives in Africa designed to have a continental reach or a sub-continental reach spanning more than one sub-region. Headquartered in Accra, Ghana, FARA has been in existence for 12 years. Over this period, FARA has provided a continental forum for stakeholders in AR4D to shape the vision and agenda for this sub-sector, and to mobilize themselves to respond to key continent-wide development frameworks, notably the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) FARA also plays a key role in galvanizing the agricultural research for development sector, and brings a strong African voice to global forums such as the G-8 and the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR).

GFAR is the unique multi-stakeholder global forum on agricultural research and innovation. GFAR is an open, voluntary forum and a movement for change. GFAR is open to all local, national, regional and global organizations who share in our purpose. We come together from around the world, each with our own perspectives and capabilities. There is no financial obligation or legal commitment involved.

The visibility of rural advisory services has increased on the global agenda, but there is a big gap in terms of the provision of advocacy and leadership: Currently, there is no coherent or credible voice for rural advisory services. In contrast to the large and well-developed international structures in agricultural research, RAS lack direction regarding investment priorities and evidence-based recommendations for policies and approaches. There is also a need for enhanced individual and institutional capacity development within RAS and sharing of experience at local and regional levels. Worldwide, stakeholders in the rural advisory sector have expressed demand for a dynamic, proactive, and formal structure to assure a credible and clear voice for RAS.

The Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA) is a global network of national and regional Higher Education Associations. GCHERA’s mission is to encourage mutual understanding and global co-operation among higher education associations and their constituent member universities provide leadership in education, research, innovation and outreach in agricultural and life sciences be a catalyst for the sharing and adoption of best practices across its membership. The GCHERA Steering Committee participates in global forums to contribute the views of the global higher education community in addressing the global challenges facing agriculture, food and natural resource management systems in 21st C, and supports GCHERA’s members in addressing these challenges. GCHERA is a not for profit organisation registered in France at the office of INRA, Paris.

IAAS (International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences) is the biggest student organization in the field of agriculture and related sciences worldwide. IAAS was founded in 1957 and started with only 8 member countries. It grew a lot to the organization it is nowadays with over 50 member countries and about 10,000 students as members.

ICA, founded in 1988 as the Interfaculty Committee Agraria, is a network of more than 60 universities from the EU and neighbouring countries (European Higher Education Area, EHEA). Full Membership is currently open to all higher education institutions in Europe with a focus on the life sciences relating to agriculture, food, forestry, natural resources, rural development and the environment in the 46 countries subscribing to the Bologna process. Associate Membership is open to universities outside of the EHEA. One of the most significant challenges facing a European higher education institution is the competition from other higher education institutions at the European level and worldwide. To succeed, an institution needs to strive to enhance the quality of its provision and to engage in the international arena. ICA’s vision is to enhance our members’ success in the international market place, in Europe and globally, by providing a suppiortive environment to share experience, to cooperate in new ventures, and to benefit from the resulting synergy. ICA links eight ICA Standing Committees under the umbrella of the ICA Council. The ICA Standing Committees have either a discipline or cross discipline support focus. The ICA Council acts as a forum to support networking and the initiation of new ventures between Standing Committees and ICA

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), established by ten Vice Chancellors in 2004, is a consortium of 126 African universities operating within 38 countries spanning the African continent. RUFORUM is coordinated by a Secretariat hosted by Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. The organisation evolved from its predecessor, the Forum on Agricultural Resource Husbandry (FORUM) program of the Rockefeller Foundation. RUFORUM is registered as an International Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and has mandate to oversee graduate training. In July, 2014, RUFORUM signed a cooperation agreement with the African Union to support the implementation of the new African Union for Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa, 2024 (STISA 2024). RUFORUM supports universities to address the important and largely unfulfilled role that universities play in contributing to the well‐being of small‐scale farmers and economic development of countries throughout the sub‐ Saharan Africa region. The consortium has several unique features for building Africa’s innovation capacity and for engaging universities in development process and practice

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) works to strengthen institutional capacities toward inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development (ISARD) in Southeast Asia through graduate education, research and development, and knowledge management.

To feed a growing population and meet the challenge of climate change, agricultural production must intensify in a sustainable way, and innovation is key to make that happen. A sustainable intensification of agriculture is particularly needed in the tropics, where FAO is involved in the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP). Initiated by the G20 and generously supported by the European Union, TAP focuses on the development of national capacities for agricultural innovation in the tropics, where most of the developing countries are located and the capacity gap is especially wide. By helping to bridge the capacity gap, TAP aims to pave the way for agricultural innovations that meet the demands of its principal users - small farmers, small and medium-sized agribusinesses and consumers. To achieve these goals, TAP has embraced the so-called Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) perspective, acting as a multilateral dynamic facilitation mechanism that enables better coherence and greater impact of Capacity Development (CD) interventions in AIS.

The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) is a member-based association, bringing together national farmers’ organizations and agricultural cooperatives from all over the world. WFO mission is to represent the farmers’ voice and advocate on their behalf in all the relevant international processes affecting their present and their future, ranging from the global dialogue on agriculture to nutrition and sustainability. This includes Climate Change negotiations (COP), Committee on World Food Security (CFS), United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (Sendai Framework), IFAD’s farmers’ forum, AMR debate (OIE, FAO, WHO), trade (WTO), and many more. The objective is to create the conditions for the adoption of policies and programs that can improve the economic environment and livelihood of producers and rural communities, strengthening the contribution of agriculture in tackling the challenges humankind faces.

Assisting 86.7 million people in around 83 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. As the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. Food and food-related assistance lie at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. On any given day, WFP has 5,600 trucks, 20 ships and 92 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need. Every year, we distribute more than 15 billion rations at an estimated average cost per ration of US$ 0.31. These numbers lie at the roots of WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that gets the job done quickly at scale in the most difficult environments. WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations. Two-thirds of our work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict.

WHO began when our Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 – a date we now celebrate every year as World Health Day. We are now more than 7000 people from more than 150 countries working in 150 country offices, in 6 regional offices and at our headquarters in Geneva.

YPARD is an international movement by Young Professionals for Agricultural Development. YPARD operates as a network; it is not a formalized institution. At the heart of YPARD as a movement are its members, who are encouraged to become active in their area, spread the news about YPARD to other young professionals, encourage a stronger voice of youth in their own organizations and share their views and ideas with other young professionals in the network. This global on-line and off-line communication and discussion platform is meant to enable and empower young agricultural leaders around the world to shape sustainable food systems.

About Us

AGRINATURA PARTNERS