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What Germany is doing
International agricultural research
Experts predict that by 2025 there will be around two billion more people living on the earth than today, most of them in developing countries. More food will be required, but there is only a limited amount of agricultural land on which to produce it. Agricultural research is faced with the task of securing food for this ever-growing population, although less arable and grazing land will be available per capita and water is becoming increasingly scarce. Productivity thus needs to be increased while at the same time protecting ecosystems - a challenge to which scientists and academics in diverse disciplines around the world are responding.
International cooperation
In the early 1970s experts forecast mass starvation as a result of global population growth and stagnating yields, in particular of food crops. And so the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) was set up in 1971. The CGIAR currently supports 15 international research institutes in various disciplines. Initially, research focussed on improving yields of wheat, maize and rice; later they were joined by potatoes, manioc, millet and important pulses. Developing efficient livestock production systems, fighting animal diseases and preserving genetic diversity are further topics of this applied research. The CGIAR is establishing a worldwide network of gene banks. Germany supports CGIAR's research, providing 15.4 million euros in funding in 2004.
Whilst private agricultural industry keeps the results of their research under lock and key, and puts them to commercial use, public research is accessible to any interested users anywhere in the world. Innovations, expert know-how and genetic resources stored in the research institutes' gene banks are freely available.
Local research
Efficient research institutes in developing countries supplement international research in important ways. German development cooperation sponsors agricultural research institutes and NGOs in partner countries so that they can build up their own pool of knowledge and resolve local problems in-country.
German development cooperation is increasingly providing its support to international agricultural research through public-private partnerships (PPPs) with national and international research facilities.
