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Q & A's on the Australian International Food Security Centre
Where will the Centre be established?
The Centre will be established as part of ACIAR and act as a hub for international agricultural research. The Centre will build on ACIAR well recognised partnership model and support and encourage new and innovative models to improve poverty impact.
Australia, through ACIAR, has an exceptional record of deploying agricultural research expertise to match the needs of developing countries, along with a similar range of environments. ACIAR links Australian and developing country agricultural scientists in programs and projects to address mutually agreed priorities.
ACIAR’s track record has delivered more than $31 billion in benefits through project partnerships. An independent economic analysis of the impacts emerging from 120 projects (themselves the subject of independent analysis) estimated a stream of benefits totalling A$32.16 billion. Benefits flowing to developing countries are estimated at around A$29.4 billion, with the remaining benefits accruing back to Australian agriculture.
When will it open?
The Centre will commence operations early in 2012.
How will the Centre operate?
The Centre will operate as a hub, or portal, creating linkages initially between African researchers and their Australian counterparts and where relevant international agricultural research institutions would also be involved.
The Centre will identify opportunities by hosting an international conference in the first half of 2012.
This will build on existing work, such as the recent International Food Policy Research Institute organised conference Increasing Agricultural Productivity and Enhancing Food Security in Africa: New Challenges and Opportunities, held in Addis Ababa in the first week of November 2011.
Activities of the Centre will also link with existing ACIAR work in Africa, and will particularly focus on bridging the gap between discovery research, international public goods of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and between public and private sectors.
How is the Centre funded?
The Australian Government will provide $36 million to fund the Centre’s activities for an initial four year period. It is an initiative under the auspices of the Australian aid program.
Stability of funding will provide certainty for the Centre’s partners and end-users, smallholder farmers benefitting from research developments.
Where is it going to be located?
The Australian International Food Security Centre will be based in Canberra, Australia, as part of ACIAR.
A facility will be located at a suitable African national city, acting as a regional hub and supporting the work of the Centre.
How will the Centre improve food security? What methods will it employ?
Research focused on benefiting the smallholder farmer will be the aim of the Centre. Achieving this aim will help boost the productivity of smallholder farmers, helping them improve livelihoods in a sustainable manner and impacting on global food security.
The Centre will undertake the following activities:
• medium to long-term end-user driven collaborative agricultural research for development;
• education and training program at least including, but not limited to, a PhD program that complements the research programs and that builds engagement, innovation and R&D capacity within end-users;
• development of strategies that build innovation and R&D capacity; and
• utilisation activities to deploy research outputs and encourage take up by smallholder farmers, fishers and foresters.
The Centre will foster "hands-on" learning providing training for highly skilled professionals, it will also involve, to differing extents, all levels of the education and training system.
Why focus on Africa?
The largest proportion of people living in poverty is in Africa, where an estimated one in three people go hungry. At the same time the agricultural potential of Africa is enormous, both in terms of uncultivated farming land, and in the levels of productivity that can still be achieved.
In addition many of the farming environments in Australia, particularly dryland conditions, are very similar to those in Africa. Australia has world-leading agricultural research science capabilities, and is a net food exporting nation. Linking this expertise to Africa’s food security needs can significantly reduce poverty and create solutions to hunger.
Over the next 40 years the world’s population is expected to increase from 7 to 9 billion people. Today around 1 billion people live in poverty and do not have food security. These people do not have access to the unalienable human right of food, and suffer chronic hunger. Unless global food production keeps pace with a growing population the numbers of people living in poverty are likely to rise over the next 40 years.
The untapped production capacity from Africa’ s uncultivated land and unrealised productivity gains will be important in feeding this growing population.
Why hold a conference? How will this be different from other conferences and not be a talk-fest with no outcomes?
The Conference will help to provide a ‘road map’ in establishing partnerships and priorities for the Centre. It will build on a range of existing work, including that of ACIAR, and the International Food Policy Research Institute sponsored conference Increasing Agricultural Productivity and Enhancing Food Security in Africa: New Challenges and Opportunities, held in Addis Ababa in the first week of November 2011.
The Centre will follow the ACIAR model of consulting with partners to identify and address mutually agreed priorities, and from those priorities create the road map for implementing operations. The road map will also be used to identify what priorities fit into the activities of the centre, ensuring a mutually agreed approach to meeting these priorities.
Where will the conference be held?
The conference is likely to be held in Australia, with details to be confirmed closer to the date.
More Information
The Centre is established through ACIAR. Until the new Centre begins operations, ACIAR is the contact point for the Centre.
ACIAR telephone: + 61 2 6217 0500
ACIAR email: aciar [at] aciar [dot] gov [dot] au
