In its efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the European Commission (EC) has identified agriculture as a critical sector for ensuring food security in developing countries.The EC has the Agriculture Research for Development (ARD) which is aimed at providing “technological, economic and institutional knowledge and innovations contributing to sustainable development.” The EC intends to make investments in “the provision of international public goods contributing to food security and in particular in the field of research and technology.”
Under the Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP) Component 1 – Research and Technology of the 2009-2010 Global Programme on Agricultural Research for Development (ARD), the EC aims to support projects that demonstrate small farmer innovation for food security leading to economic development in the context of the impact and adaptation of climate change. To simplify this, the funding would be provided to projects that addressed either the reduction of the degradation of dry land areas, applying of innovating ideas for improved productivity through the use of traditional knowledge and with the participation of smallholder farmers, market-level empowerment of small farmers, reducing of the risks associated with natural disasters for small farmers, ensuring of agriculatural diversification to improve farmer incomes or control “endemic neglected diseases and zooneses” which affect livestock and humans both.Research and technology are critical components of the programme and all projects should address the following objectives:
1. To generate research results (international public goods) on the six priorities above which will enable policies meant to improve the food security of smallholder farmers;
2. To create critical masses of research able to answer at least one of these priorities, drawing, in first place, on developing countries research capacities, and also on European research capacities, in order to help generate sustainable bi-regional research partnership;
3. To ensure that research results, in relevant contexts, are to be implemented in at least 3 developing countries;
4. To create suitable conditions for dissemination of research results to smallholders;
5. To improve the exchange of information, experience and knowledge, through scientific and producers’ associations networks and (multi)stakeholder platforms;
6. To enhance the link between agricultural research and extension programmes, research capacity and institution building, responding to beneficiaries’ needs.
The minimum and maximum amounts for allocating grants are between EUR 1,500,000 and EUR 3,000,000.Concept note as well as a full proposal have to be submitted as part of the application process under this Call for Proposals. Registration at PADOR for all applicants is mandatory. To know how to register at PADOR, visit this link. Applications are invited and can be implemented in developing countries. The list of eligible countries can be found at this link. The last date to submit the proposal is 6 November 2009. For more information, download the documents from this link.
