• GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
• PARTNERS
  • ARIMNET Members
  • ARIMNET Associeted Partners
  • Other Partners
• WORKPACKAGES

• AGRICULTURE RESEARCH IN PARTNER COUNTRIES
• COUNTRY REPORT
• RESOURCES

• DISCUSSION FORUM

ARIMNET MEMBERS

1- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique INRA France (FR) Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)        INRA, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) is the first partner and coordinator of the ARIMNet project. INRA is a major actor of agricultural research in Europe (the first in terms of scientific publications on plant and animal science and on agricultural sciences).        INRA is placed under the aegis of both the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Agriculture. INRA covers the whole field of agricultural research including environmental research, rural areas and rural development, food and nutrition and employs 10000 researchers and technical staff in 14 scientific departments. Its budget is around 700 millions €. On the specific field of agricultural research related to Mediterranean agriculture issues, 1000 researchers (including 300 doctoral and post doctoral students) are devoted to research topics from management of natural resources (soil, water, etc.) to crop protection, plant and animal breeding, climate change and sustainable production. The related budget is around 115 millions €. INRA has a large and long experience of cooperation at the European and international level: it is involved in many European research projects and networks (more than 140) and is coordinating more than 40 out of them. It has developed specific tools to foster the coordination or the participation of its researchers to collaborative projects that will be helpful in the coordination of the ARIMNet project. It is an active member of SCAR on behalf of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, where it was co-responsible of the Collaborative working group on Mediterranean Agriculture with Italy. It is also involved in coordination of national programmes. It runs strategic cooperation with other agricultural research organisations around the world and especially in Europe and with Brazil, China and India. Cooperation in the Mediterranean is a specific focus of its international strategic plan (2006-2009). Within Europe, INRA strives to reinforce partnerships with southern Europe to foster the creation of a Euro-        Mediterranean agricultural research area and the development of multilateral cooperation with all the countries in the region. To do this, INRA is strengthening relations with CIHEAM (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies) and ICARDA (International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) by promoting joint initiatives. INRA is engaged with CIRAD (Partner 2) in the building of a French Initiative for International Agricultural Research. Its purpose is to organise a common strategic foresight on agricultural research to better identify and address the key issues concerning some partners throughout the world, among which partners of the Mediterranean Area and to build more integrated proposals for research cooperation with those partners. The co-participation of INRA and CIRAD in the ARIMNet project is the first case for this Initiative and aims to anticipate its full realisation.        INRA is delegated by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (General Directorate for Research and Innovation) to coordinate the ARIMNet project and to represent with CIRAD the French participation.   2- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique        pour le Développement CIRAD France (FR) Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique, France          CIRAD is specialised in development-oriented agricultural research for tropical, sub-tropical regions. CIRAD has a mandate to contribute to rural development in tropical and subtropical countries through research, experimentation, training operations in France and overseas, and scientific and technical information, primarily in the fields of agriculture, veterinary, forestry and agrifoods. This mandate has broadened to include environmental issues and natural resource management, and also involves CIRAD in drawing up public development aid policy. CIRAD has a budget of 200 million euros and a staff of 1 820 agents, including 1 050 senior staff members working in more than 50 countries worldwide. CIRAD is organized in three research departments (The Performance of Tropical Production and Processing Systems Department; The Biological Systems Department; The Environments and Societies Department) and is organized in 60 research units. CIRAD operates through its own research centres and collaborates with national agricultural research systems, universities and international centres, private firms, producer groups, smallholder professional organizations, agrifood companies and nongovernmental organizations. CIRAD is member of ECART (European Consortium for Agricultural Research in the Tropics). Research topics addressed by CIRAD focus on management of water resources, animal health & emerging animal disease, food quality and security, certification of food products, agricultural waste management, biotechnology, natural resources management, agro-ecology and agro-forestry, aquaculture, pest integrated management and control, support of family agriculture, public policy economics, Sustainable cropping systems, peri-urban farming and distribution chains.   3- Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali MIPAAF        Italy (IT) Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari et Forestali, Italy        The Italian research on agriculture refers to many national and regional public Institutions. The Ministry of Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF) is the main funding body for agricultural, agro-food and forestry issues. It is responsible for the definition of national research programmes in all areas of agriculture and forestry and during the period from 2001 and 2005 financed agricultural research programmes and projects with 204 M€ which represent about 70% of national agricultural research funding.        The “Research and experimentation” Office (POSR IV) of MIPAAF promotes and funds national research programmes and projects with duration of several years, investigating problems related to all aspects of a specific production chain (cereals, fruits, vegetables, industrial crops, etc.) and/or horizontal issues (soilwater-energy management, plant nutrition, plant pathology, mechanization, product transformation technologies).        The technical staff of the POSR IV Office has to manage a yearly budget of € 35-40 million for financing specific research programmes and projects and € 97 million to fund the maintenance and the ordinary research activities of the recently established CRA (the Council for Research and xperimentation in agriculture). Beside these activities the technical staff has also the task to monitor the implementation of the funded programmes and projects.        During the period 2001-2005 more than 82 M€ out of 204 M€ were devoted to research programmes and projects relevant for Mediterranean agriculture.        Furthermore, MIPAAF also contributes to scientific education and research training financing fellowships, grants (including few PhD grants) and contracts for young researchers both in the framework of ongoing projects “on Mediterranean agriculture” using additional resources (13 M € in 2001-2005 period).      The POSR IV Office has gained a great experience in coordinated actions at national level (joint calls with other Ministries involved in agricultural research funding) and at European level participating in SCAR Committee and its working groups (DG XII) and in ERA-Nets coordinated actions such as CORE ORGANIC and EUPHRESCO (mapping of research activities, infrastructures and facilities and joint calls).     4- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique d’Algérie INRAA        Algeria (DZ) Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique d’Algérie, Algeria        The National Institute of Agricultural Research of Algeria is a scientific and technological public establishment in charge of the national programmes of research related to agriculture and food, natural resources and water and biotechnologies.         The institute participates to the elaboration and implementation of the national policy of agricultural research for sustainable agricultural development, and it contributes to the design and achievement of national programmes of scientific and technological development research in the following areas: Knowledge and monitoring of physical environment Improvement and development of plant and animal productions Preservation and development of agricultural products as well as their quality Agribiotechnologies Economics and sociology of agricultural and rural world Ecology and environment      Adressed topics are strongly connected with agricultural and rural development issues at level of regions and territories (waterless, agro-pastoral, Saharan and mountainous areas, etc.). The themes are directly inscribed in national and international issues such as local and sustainable development, biodiversity preservation, climate changes question and fight against the poverty, etc.        The Institute is made up of departments and laboratories of research that bring together 370 persons, 137 of which are researchers.        INRAA has developed international partnerships with FAO, International Centre of Research (Biodiversity, ICARDA), CIHEAM, Italy, Spain and France. Several international workshops, regional conferences, seminars with participation of foreign and national partners (universities, institutes) take place annually. INRAA is an important national centre of African Agency of Biotechnologies and ICARDA, as well as a phytogenetic, and zoological resources network of FAO.        At the national level, INRAA managed tree national calls for tenders as part of two national programmes of research.   5- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria        y Alimentaria INIA Spain (ES) Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Spain        Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) is an autonomous Public Research Organisation belonging to the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Its objectives are the programming, the coordination and the assignment of resources to scientific and technological activities, their monitoring and evaluation and the undertaking of research and technological development functions, including the technological transfer in Agriculture and Food sectors.        The INIA distributes its activity between three major areas: As a public research organization. As the sectoral coordinator of food and agricultural research with autonomous regions. As a manager body for international cooperation in matters of agricultural science and technology.      The INIA carries out its own research through three centres and six departments: the Forest Research Centre, the Centre for Animal Health Research, the Plant Genetic Resources Centre and the departments of Biotechnology, Environment, Animal Breeding and Genetics, Plant Protection, Animal Reproduction and Food Technology.        The INIA is a programme owner and responsible to make the public calls, defining, financing and managing research strategic research programmes at national level (in coordination with the regional authorities).         The INIA is the Spanish representative to the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research), supporting it with annual funds. INIA supports a wide range of activities in Latin American countries through bilateral scientific cooperation agreements. It is also the Spanish representative to the Management Committees of the EU Framework Programme of R+D in the Agro-food ambit as well as being the Spanish representative in the SCAR Committee.   6-General Directorate of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture       and Rural Affairs GDAR Turkey (TR) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, General Directorate of Agricultural Research, Turkey   ORGANISATION Agricultural Research Council Research Science Committees Program Coordinators Program Evaluation Working Groups Research Institutes Central Research Institutes Regional Research Institutes Subject-oriented Research Institutes   Aims/Missions        Plant breeding, production and protection Fishery and aquaculture Animal breeding, husbandry and health Postharvest Technologies Food and feed Organic Agriculture Biodiversity/Genetic Resources Soil and water resources management Biosafety Rural development   TARGETS To set up priorities of Agricultural Research for the Country and to allocate the available resources to the programs and projects according to the priorities, To monitor and evaluate the implementing projects, to disseminate and publish the research results, To improve the system for research administration and information and make available for the use of researchers, To improve the productivity and quality of agricultural products through research and to help improving the incomes of farmers, To protect the resources (including soil, water and genetic resources of plants and animals) and the environment for the sustainable use of them for long term, To follow technological developments, including biotechnology, around the world and to adapt to our country's conditions, To improve the scientific capacity of the researchers, to employ young scientists in research and to improve social and economic capacity of research people, To improve research capacity and the productivity of Research Organisation   Human Resources at GDAR        Currently GDAR manages 59 research institutes dealing with the whole range of agricultural issues throughout the country.   7- Agricultural Research Centre ARC Egypt (EG) Agricultural Research Centre, Egypt Organisation        Egypt is an intensive user of modern technologies to improve agricultural productivity in view of the natural resource base scarcity and population pressure. The very creation of the Ministry of Agriculture in the beginning of the 20th century was preceded by the establishment of technical divisions and the development of research capabilities. These endeavours culminated into the creation of the Agricultural Research Centre (ARC) in the early 1970s. Over the past two decades, numerous achievements have been realized, including the development of new varieties, improved agronomic practices, livestock development, maintenance of the national herds and better food processing techniques. New crops and animal breeds have also been introduced and research has been dedicated to problem- solving, side by side with basic science. The overarching goal is to maximize the economic return per unit of land and water. Within the national agricultural development strategies, ARC assumes the following major functions: Conducting applied and basic research to generate a continuous flow of technologies that help increase productivity and reduce production cost in a general context of sustainability; Priority setting; Transfer of new technologies to the farming community through extension service; and monitoring their adoption by the end users; and Human capital development as a continual process. Over the past two decades, ARC has developed its infrastructure research and its personnel have increased (4300 researchers in 2001) and new Central Laboratories and Institutes have been added to improve performance in the on-going plan which is built on the following pivotal themes: Sustainable development of research and extension capabilities; Upgrading technology transfer channels; Utilizing, to the maximum level possible, the findings of science and technology developed abroad.      The Centre has so far implemented five 5-year plans and initiated the sixth 5-year plan (2007-2012) in July 2007. The sixth 5-year plan incorporates 14 research programs. This effort is further supported by other partner agencies in Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, universities and sister research centres. Multidisciplinary is the major feature of the current plan and key to its success. Clearer definition of research topics, geared to solving specific problems, is also another feature, complemented by the set objectives and the physical, human and financial resources earmarked to attain them.   8- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia FCT Portugal (PT) Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal Organisation        Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) is the Portugal’s main funding agency for research and it is responsible for following the bilateral and multilateral international agreements in science and technology.        FCT is a public autonomous institute under the aegis of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. FCT covers all fields of science, from natural sciences to humanities, normally in a responsive mode, aiming at capability enhancement and research excellence.        FCT’s mission consists in continuously promoting the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge in Portugal, exploring opportunities that become available in any scientific or technological domain to attain the highest international standards in the creation of knowledge, and to stimulate their diffusion and contribution to improve education, health, environment, and the quality of life and well being of the general public.        This mission is mainly accomplished through the financing subsequent to the evaluation of the merit of proposals presented by institutions, research teams or individuals in public open calls, and also through cooperation agreements and other forms of support in partnership with universities and other public or private institutions.   Functions To promote, finance, accompany and evaluate science and technology institutions, programs, projects and qualification of human resources; To promote and strengthen support infra-structures for scientific research and technological development; To promote the diffusion of scientific and technological culture and knowledge, and their teaching; To stimulate the update, interconnection, reinforcement and availability of science and technology information sources at the national and international level; To ensure international cooperation in the scientific and technological domains.      With a staff of 228 persons, FCT’s budget for 2008 is around 570 million €. Funding is structured around the following schemes: promotion of training and career development (fellowships, scholarships, mainly for PhD, Post-doc and PhD in industry), support of centres of excellence (associated laboratories) and research centres (institutional funding), support to infrastructures, promotion and development of scientific activity (research projects) and for diffusion of scientific culture. Specifically for Agricultural Research in the Mediterranean, since there is no earmarked budget, it was considered the value awarded in the calls for research projects. In the last the call in responsive mode, a funding of 2 M€ was awarded for R&D projects in this field.        FCT has experience in coordinated actions at national level (join calls with other Ministries) and at the European level; FCT participates in several ERA-Nets coordinated actions some of witch can relate to the topic of Mediterranean Agriculture such as: BiodivERsA, ERA-IB, ERA-PG and SafefoodERA. FCT is the Portuguese representative to the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research).   Moreover, FCT supports a wide range of activities with Mediterranean counties such as Morocco and Tunisia through bilateral scientific cooperation agreements.   9- Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine IAV        Morocco (MA) Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Morocco        The Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV) is a multidisciplinary polytechnic centre for biological and earth sciences and technologies based on an integrated system for high education, training and scientific research to serve agricultural and rural development. Affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, IAV is one of the main components of NARS.        It has developed high agricultural research capacities covering all fields of agricultural research and natural resources including agronomy, horticulture, veterinary medicine, food industry and nutrition, topography, rural equipment, and environmental research. It has built strong partnerships nationally, regionally and internationally. It has developed strong linkages with development services and farming communities. IAV is the country largest centre of multidisciplinary expertise for sustainable development. IAV accounts 320 scientists and faculty members and 180 Technical staff - in 32 departments hosting different laboratories - and 700 administrative staff. IAV conducts scientific research aiming at solving problems that affect Moroccan agricultural. It performs research nationally in many regions through research projects conducted by multidisciplinary teams, coordinated through the institutional research strategy that integrates heavy involvement in international networks and collaborative research.        A significant regional and international role through training foreign students, particular (10% of the IAV graduates are foreigners, 26 African countries up to now) and a large number of research-development projects in partnerships and in networking with African, Mediterranean and developing countries. IAV hosts several NGO’s and professional organisations active in agricultural and rural development.   10- National Agricultural Research Foundation NAGREF Greece (GR) National Agricultural Research Foundation, Greece Organisation        The National Agricultural Research Foundation (N.AG.RE.F.) is the national body of agricultural research and technology in Hellas and functions as a private entity of the wider public sector, supervised by the Hellenic Ministry of Agriculture. The foundation is not only in charge of undertaking agricultural research for the development of technology and know-how, but it is also responsible to forward recommendations to the Ministry of  Agriculture regarding solutions to various agricultural problems. The Foundation, which is programme owner and programme manager, is the largest research organisation in Hellas.        Undoubtedly, the basic objective is the production of competitive agricultural products of excellent quality, produced via environmentally friendly processes. The development of a wider framework of collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, educational and other research Institutions, the private sector and international Institutions and Organisations is promoted, thus aiming at the establishment of a well-planned and concerted Research and Technological Activity. N.AG.RE.F. will greatly contribute to the achievement of national strategic objectives, such as the development of the National Agricultural Economy within the framework of international labour division, on the basis of the triptych Organisation, Planning, and Coordination.        The National Agricultural Research Foundation is in close cooperation with the European Union, participating in a lot of specific research programmes such as the Framework Programmes, FAIR, BIOTECH, INCO-DC, INCOCOPERNICUS, ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE, etc. In addition, a significant number of its researchers participate actively in several scientific committees such as CREST, SCAR, EURAGRI, determining together with other countries future research priorities of the E.U. N.AG.RE.F also collaborates with foreign national organisations on bilateral basis and funds research and development projects of mutual interest. Finally, N.AG.RE.F collaborates with national and international organisations (FAO, OECD, etc.), research organisations (INRA, CEMAGREF, DLO, etc.), Universities and private enterprises with a view to developing scientific links in agricultural research and development.        N.AG.RE.F. has developed research activities in various fields (Plant production, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Fish Production and Aquaculture, Forestry, Agricultural Biotechnology, Food Science and Technology, Soil Science and Land Reclamation, Farm Machinery and Structures, Renewable Energy Resources, Rural Development, Environment, Water Resources Management, Marketing and Management of Agricultural Products).        N.AG.RE.F. has carried out since 1996, 54 research programmes in collaboration with many countries including some participants to the ARIMNet project (France, Cyprus, Spain and Italy).   11- Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education          IRESA Tunisia (TN) Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricole, Tunisia   IRESA is in charge of: promoting agricultural research in Tunisia through the coordination of research (6 Research Institutes, 3 regional centres and 3 regional research and development clusters and more than 20 experimental centres) and higher education (11 institutions) in this field; disseminating agricultural knowledge; setting, funding and monitoring national research programmes; Coordination and evaluation of the national programmes. The main objectives are covering natural resources management, plant and animal science, emerging diseases, sustainability of agricultural production, food security and food safety, horticulture, aquaculture and fisheries.      The Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (IRESA) is in close cooperation with the European Union, participating in a lot of specific research programmes in the fields of natural resources (water, forestry), Animal health, cereals, arboriculture and biotechnology. The Institution cooperates with research establishments in Europe (INRA, CEMAGREF,…) and other parts of the world, and with international and regional  organizations such as FAO, IAEA, ICARDA, IPGRI, CIHEAM, ACSAD,…   12- Agricultural Research Institute ARI Cyprus (CY) Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Agricultural Research  Institute, Cyprus        The Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) is a Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment. It is the only institution engaged in agricultural research and depends largely on government funding, though in recent years, additional funds were obtained through European research projects. It undertakes applied, theoretical and adaptive research within the wider domain of plant and animal production. Its research activities concern Fruit Trees and Viticulture, Plant Improvement, Vegetables and Ornamentals, Plant Protection, Soils, Water Use and Environment, Animal Production, Statistics and Agricultural Economics. ARI staff consists of 40 scientists, 64 technicians and 14 administrative and accounting personnel.        The Institute has well equipped specialized laboratories, including radioisotope and molecular biology laboratories, cold storage facilities, the National Gene Bank, the National Herbarium and a library which receives most of the leading agricultural journals. The Institute has an experimental farm near its headquarters, where the livestock (cattle, sheep and goats) is kept, and outstations at various locations for citrus, flowers, vegetables, field crops, deciduous fruits and cereal breeding. Extensive experimentation is also undertaken in farmers’ fields.        The ARI, is the National Focal Point for FAO projects related to conservation and utilization of plant and animal genetic resources in agriculture. The Institute is the national AGRIS Centre collecting, cataloguing and indexing the agricultural literature published in Cyprus, and is also the national CARIS Centre collating information on ongoing research. The Institute cooperates with research establishments in Europe and other parts of the world, and with international and regional organizations, such as FAO, IAEA, ICARDA, IPGRI, etc. At present, the ARI participates in 17 EU funded projects in various disciplines of the broader agricultural sector.        Results of ARI research are published in international journals or in its own publications series (Biennial Review, Technical Bulletin, Miscellaneous Reports and Agricultural Economics Report) in English.   13- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MOARD          Israel (IL) M1 M48 Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Israel        MOARD, The Chief Scientist Office of The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MOAG), is responsible for the policy-making and strategy of the governmental-related public agricultural research and development (R&D), and to direct, mediate, finance and control its activity.        As a funding agency, MOARD issues every year a Call for Proposals for Collaborative Research Projects in agriculture. R&D is one of the important means helping Israeli agriculture face its difficult challenges to survive and flourish. R&D contributes to improvement of agriculture efficiency thus helping the farmers, increases consumers’ welfare and contributes to the State economy.        MOARD is interested in funding research projects so that their results may be used by the agricultural community, and therefore the know-how resulted from these projects is public domain and available to every one. The research reports are kept in the libraries of all Israeli universities.        In addition to MOARD, The Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) is operating as the research arm of the Israel Ministry of Agriculture. ARO is responsible for planning, organizing and implementing the greater part of Israel's agricultural research effort. ARO is concerned with the solving of current problems in agricultural production, with the introduction of new products, processes and equipment, and with research investigations on which Israel's future agricultural effort will be based. Its research policy and activity is dominated by and coordinated with MOARD. Located at the Volcani Centre campus, ARO operates six institutes and two research stations (950 employees including over 250 scientists). Israel’s Gene Bank for Agricultural Crops is also located on the ARO Volcani Centre campus. While encompassing the full range of agricultural research activities, ARO focuses in particular on arid zone agriculture, enabling Israel - a country short of all the resources required for agriculture - to achieve among the highest levels of agricultural output in the world.        Among ARO’s areas of special expertise are: agriculture under arid conditions; agriculture on marginal soils; irrigation using effluent and saline water; crop cultivation in protected environments; freshwater fish farming under conditions of water shortage; minimization of produce losses through use of latest pest control and post-harvest storage methods; breeding and development of new strains of crops and domestic animals better suited to the adverse conditions which already exist in many parts of the world, and which are likely to become even more prevalent in the future.