Minister of State Peter Power, T.D., announces Irish Aid funding for agricultural research in the developing world

Against the background of rising global food prices and shortages, Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power TD, today announced funding of over €4 million to eight international agricultural research centres. The centres, which form part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, are mobilising top quality scientific research for the benefit of poor smallholder farmers in developing countries.  Minister Power said:

“This funding is a central component of Irish Aid’s response to the global food crisis.  This crisis has hammered home the urgency of improving the productivity of agriculture in some of the world’s poorest countries.  More than 850 million people across the world today are hungry, while high food prices risk pushing 100 million additional people over the edge into hunger and poverty.

Top quality agricultural research plays a crucial role in improving the performance and sustainability of agriculture.  It will also help the poorest and most vulnerable farmers cope with the effects of climate change.”

Note to Editors

Ireland has provided more than €20 million in support of the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) this year. This includes €3 million to help mitigate the effects of price rises on the WFP’s existing food relief programmes. The Hunger Task Force will report shortly to the Government on further contributions that Ireland can make to international efforts to end hunger.

The research centres receiving Irish Aid support form part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a strategic alliance of fifteen agricultural research centres, partners and members, which together work to achieve sustainable food security, improve nutrition and reduce poverty in developing countries.

The funding of €4,430,000 is distributed across eight research centres, as follows:

Organisation  2008
International Water Management Institute (IWMI) €400,000
World Agro-Forestry (ICRAF) €950,000
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) €800,000
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) €600,000
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) €340,000
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) €640,000
Bioversity International  €500,000
World Potato Centre (CIP) €200,000
Total €4,430,000