Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture

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Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture
AIRCA logo
Abbreviation AIRCA
Formation 2012
Type International umbrella body
Purpose International coordination of agricultural research and development
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
9 member organizations
Chairperson
Segenet Kelemu
Executive Secretary
Marita Dieling
Website www.airca.org

The Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA) is an international, non-profit alliance focused on increasing food security by supporting smallholder agriculture and rural enterprise within healthy, sustainable and climate-smart landscapes.[1]

Overview and focus

AIRCA unites nine international agricultural research and development centers which focus on a diverse mix of commodities, crops and issues including tropical agriculture, vegetable production, bamboo and rattan, insect pests, fertilizer use, underutilized crops, biosaline agriculture and sustainable development in mountains.[2]

The members of AIRCA address sustainable agriculture and the environment at the landscape level. The centers create solutions that take into account the diversity of interactions among people and the environment, agricultural and non-agricultural systems, the crossing of national boundaries and other factors that represent the entire context of agriculture.[3]

AIRCA members serve more than 60 countries comprising over 70% of the world’s population from across the Americas, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.[4] The broad alliance has collective access to a wide variety of crops and ecosystems.[5]

The combined resources of AIRCA can be used to achieve 10 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations in 2015.[6][7]

Relationship to CGIAR and FAO

AIRCA member organizations work with crops of high economic, social, nutritional and ecological value. This complements and contrasts with the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the CGIAR who work primarily in staple crops.[2][8]

AIRCA does have some overlap with the CGIAR, however the CGIAR generally focuses more on agricultural research while AIRCA has more of a concentration on the implementation of agricultural research and development communication.[9] AIRCA has a strong orientation toward problem solving at a system level, rather than a focus on a single commodity.[10]

History

AIRCA was launched on 2 March 2012 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy.[10]

It was publicly presented in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 30 October 2012 during the second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development.[9]

Members

As of March 2016 the members of AIRCA are:[11]
Member Name and Overview Acronym Headquarters Location
World Vegetable Center

Previously "Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center". Alleviation of poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through the increased production and consumption of safe vegetables.

AVRDC Shanhua, Taiwan
CAB International

Previously "Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux". Improves people’s lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment.

CABI Wallingford, England, United Kingdom
Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza

Contributes to rural poverty reduction by promoting competitive and sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, through higher education, research and technical cooperation.

CATIE Turrialba, Costa Rica
Crops for the Future

Helps partners to generate, synthesise and promote knowledge on neglected and underutilised crops for the benefit of the poor and agricultural sustainability.

CFF Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture

Enables water short countries to improve their agricultural productivity, social equity and environmental sustainability through the effective use of marginal quality water.

ICBA Dubai, United Arab Emirates
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

Enables and facilitates the equitable and sustainable well-being of the people of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas by supporting sustainable mountain development through active regional cooperation.

ICIMOD Kathmandu, Nepal
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology

Helps alleviate poverty, ensure food security and improve the overall health status of peoples of the tropics by developing and extending management tools and strategies for harmful and useful arthropods, while preserving the natural resource base through research and capacity building.

ICIPE Nairobi, Kenya
International Fertilizer Development Center

Enables smallholder farmers in developing countries to increase agricultural productivity, generate economic growth and practice environmental stewardship by enhancing their ability to manage mineral and organic fertilizers responsibly and participate profitably in input and output markets.

IFDC Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan

Improves the wellbeing of the producers and users of bamboo and rattan within the context of a sustainable bamboo and rattan resource base

INBAR Beijing, China

References

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External links