Current international strategies of the European universities and research organizations show the historical ties which have bound Europe with the countries from the South. The building of the European Research Area (from the last 20 years) takes this international specificity into account: European Union programmes foster co-operations between European and Southern research communities on development issues. Competitiveness between research teams is combined with an increased dialogue on complementary nature of know-how and research fields. This shift is facilitated by the huge challenges faced by the scientific community to address global issues. The creation in 1996 of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research results from the same dynamics.
In this perspective, all stakeholders involved in agricultural research for development (ARD) in Europe participate in the European Forum on Agricultural Research (EFARD) every two years. Nineteen priority themes were identified during the 2nd EFARD meeting, leading to the creation of research programmes and networks.
In Europe, Cirad is the main research organization entirely devoted to agriculture research for development. Its staff includes 1820 persons, out of which 50 % are scientists or executive managers. Its budget amounts to 170 M Euros. Its research agenda is implemented in more than 50 countries, either with the national research institutions in Africa, Latin America and Asia, or in the Cirad premises located in the French overseas territories in tropical areas, or in Montpellier (France) in the framework of Agropolis. The specific mission of Cirad provides European research with an openness towards Southern agriculture. It also gives the scientific communities from the South access to European research facilities and programmes.
Due to its commodity- based programmes, Cirad addresses the challenges of food safety and agriculture for sustainable development in the South by working in three main research fields: 1. sustainable agricultural production, 2. sustainable management of territories, renewable resources and environment, and 3. quality and safety of agricultural products.