Policy Linkage

ACIAR has a long history of assessing the impact of its research and development investments, which provides valuable lessons for improving the selection, design and delivery of projects, as well as demonstrating the value of ACIAR as part of Australia’s international development assistance program. This report is an update of a review of of the returns on ACIAR's bilateral R&D investments (http://www.aciar.gov.au/publication/IAS35), published in 2005.

Grain drying is a major issue in all grain-producing countries and presents particular problems in humid, tropical climates. ACIAR and PCARRD, in association with other Philippine research organisations, have supported a major effort in this area. The review indicated that the technologies developed in these projects had not been adopted and that little use was being made of them in the Philippines, however the same technologies had been adopted in other collaborating countries in the Asian region and in Australia. Therefore it was decided that the assessment resources should be used to look in detail at the reasons for this lack of adoption and impact. This report presents the results of this assessment study.

These guidelines are designed for all independent consultants to use as a basis for future impact assessments and adoption studies.

Goats are an important source of income for smallholders in the Philippines and were shown to be sustaining significant losses from internal parasites. In collaboration with Philippine and international organisations, ACIAR funded a program which developed a management package which effectively controlled internal parasites and enhanced goat productivity. This study found significant impacts with the estimated net present value of welfare gains of $66 million, a benefit to cost ratio of 10:1 and an internal rate of return of 25 per cent.

This study provided a review of all ACIAR-funded fisheries research in Indonesia and selected two different programs of research for detailed studies – tuna capture fisheries and shrimp aquaculture. The returns attributed to the ACIAR supported component of tuna capture fisheries was assessed to be $168 million, indicating a return on ACIAR and partner-invested funds of a benefit to cost ratio of 179:1. For shrimp aquaculture the net present value of the welfare gains from the impact was found to be $547 million with a benefit to cost ratio of 52:1.

This project looked at the problems caused by various species of white-grub pests in peanut production in India and Australia. The impact assessment study shows that the project has generated important benefits for a crop that is largely grown by the poorer farmers in this part of India.

The dairy industry is a large and important sector for India and availability of quality feed is a significant issue for cow productivity. The ACIAR project assessed in this impact study focused on this major constraint and adapted some technologies readily available in Australia to suit the types of feed available in India. The impact was shown to be substantial, with a benefit to cost ratio of 124:1.

This project uncovered new sorghum plant material with characteristics of considerable potential benefit to Australia. Through other Australian funding, this was subsequently developed into a new variety. Although no new sorghum varieties were developed in India, it markedly enhanced the capacity of the Indian collaborators in some new biotechnology research techniques. This enhanced capacity aided successful application for funding from other sources.

Australian tree species are being used extensively throughout the world because of their rapid growth and adaptability to many (harsh) environments. This study looks at the impact on Vietnam of some past ACIAR research activities. It shows that, through adaptation, significant improvements in productivity can be achieved by selecting tree provenances that are best suited to specific environments.

Mite pests of bees are one of the major production constraints facing the apiary industry throughout the world. In most countries, the mites are present and have a significant impact on productivity and production costs. In Australia, the only country in the world without these mites, the maintenance of effective quarantine strategies against them is a major aim. ACIAR has funded research on these pests for about 15 years, which has made a significant contribution internationally to a better understanding of the mites, especially species, and their host conditions.

Capacity building and training have long been recognised as an important component of most research-for-development activities.

Irrigation systems in most of Vietnam, like in many countries, are public systems.

CAB International is one of the 15 International Agriculture Research Centres that ACIAR provides funding for in its multilateral program.

ACIAR provided the Science and Innovation Commissioned Study with a submission detailing it's unique and interesting role which transcends both Australia's aid program and its innovation system.

This report took the opportunity of an existing survey in India to try to measure poverty-reduction impacts of research.

While funding research in developing countries, ACIAR also delivers benefits to Australia and, in particular, to Australian agriculture.

To meet the escalating demand for animal protein in the Asia-Pacific region, ACIAR's challenge is to underpin the sustainability of increased livestock and fisheries production for poor farmers and consumers.

Economic analysis of project benefits and costs suggests that the total investment in fruit fly research will deliver considerable benefits, mainly to Fiji, but also to Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Vanuatu.

This report describes a benefit-cost analysis carried out to quantify the economic impacts in Vietnam from adoption of the mud crab hatchery technology developed by two ACIAR-funded projects.

ACIAR's investment in bilateral research over the past 22 years has more than paid for itself, as revealed in a review of returns to ACIAR's Bilateral R&D investments.

The project evaluated in this report helped to identify the sex pheromone (attractant chemical) of the sugarcane borer.

The ACIAR projects evaluated in this report explored the suitability of Australian conservation cropping techniques for China, aiming to maximise wheat and maize yields while conserving moisture and reducing soil degradation.

The project evaluated in this report examined handling and storage methods in China and Australia for a number of leafy vegetables

This review includes a framework for assessing future 'ideal' policy projects; a meta-analysis of ACIAR's policy portfolio and a more detailed analysis of clusters of projects completed over the past decade in China, Indonesia and India

The North China Plain supports a large number of highly intensive small farms that produce winter wheat traditionally followed by a summer crop of maize

This impact assessment focuses on the net economic, environmental and social value of the spill-over benefits accruing to Vietnam

The ACIAR-supported Banana Skipper project led to the successful introduction of a biological control agent against the butterfly pest of bananas that was reducing the productivity of the banana crop

Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) is a major animal health issue in Southeast Asia, causing losses due to reduced milk and meat production

The Mama Lus Fruit scheme was established to increase the productivity of smallholder palm-oil plantations in Papua New Guinea

This report sets out some broad ideas about how poverty evaluation could be conducted for ACIAR research projects