Agricultural Research Priorities In The Asia Pacific Region

Global perspectives; Crisis and reform in the U.S. Agricultural Research System; Research organization and reform in developing countries; The emerging role of the private sector in agricultural research.

Issues and approaches. Setting research priorities in FSR & D programmes. The research-research interface. Priority setting tools for research groups. Farmer participation in priority setting. Linking research to technology dissemination. Policymakers, planners and donors in FSR priority setting. From diagnosis to priority research themes: Indonesia. From theme to on-farm experimentation: lake zone, Tanzania. Making research plans: DRSPH, Mali. Planing research in an interdisciplinary team: ARPT Westem Province Zambia. Farmer participation in priority setting: RAMR, Benin. Research demands of an extension programme for women: PROFED, Mali. Reinforcing interaction between research and development: PLAE, Mali. Setting priorities for regional research PRIAG, Central America. Getting results: an overview and future agenda.

Mountain food security and nutrition are core issues that can contribute positively to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals but paradoxically are often ignored in Zero Hunger and poverty reduction-related agenda. Under the overall leadership of José Graziano da Silva, the Former Director-General of FAO, sustainable mountain agriculture development is set as a priority in Asia and the Pacific, to effectively address this issue and assist Member Countries in tackling food insecurity and malnutrition in mountain regions. This comprehensive publication is the first of its kind that focuses on the multidimensional status, challenges, opportunities and solutions of sustainable mountain agriculture development for Zero Hunger in Asia. This publication is building on the ‘International Workshop and Regional Expert Consultation on Mountain Agriculture Development and Food Security and Nutrition Governance’, held by FAO RAP and UIR in November 2018 Beijing, in collaboration with partners from national governments, national agriculture institutes, universities, international organizations and international research institutes. The publication provides analysis with evidence on how mountain agriculture could contribute to satisfying all four dimensions of food security, to transform food systems to be nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient, economically-viable and locally adaptable. From this food system perspective, the priority should be given to focus on specialty mountain product identification (e.g. Future Smart Food), production, processing, marketing and consumption, which would effectively expose the potential of mountain agriculture to contribute to Zero Hunger and poverty reduction. In addition, eight Asian country case studies not only identify context-specific challenges within biophysical-technical, policy, socio-economic and institutional dimensions.