Public-private partnerships in agriculture are rapidly gaining in importance. To understand this emerging trend, IDRC has been working with the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA) to investigate how these partnerships work, and how effective they can be in achieving development goals. IDRC and the SFSA co-hosted a conference, “Implementing Public-Private Partnerships in Agriculture,” that brought together invited representatives from the private and public sectors and civil society. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities that arise from these partnerships. You can read more about our initiative to expand the knowledge base about public-private partnerships in agriculture in these reports:
Asian researchers have developed new environmental and community approaches to reduce the number of mosquitoes carrying dengue, the fastest-growing mosquito-borne viral disease. Dengue is a significant economic and social burden in many countries worldwide.
KariaNet is a regional network improving knowledge-sharing on agriculture and rural development, to help the rural poor in the Middle East overcome poverty. KariaNet drew practitioners and farmers together in 10 countries in the region, equipping participants with new techniques to improve agricultural practices. Over the past two years, KariaNet tested three different methods: learning routes, learning alliances, and innovation contests.
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (the FAO) estimates that there are roughly a quarter million plant varieties available for agriculture, but less than 3 percent of these are in use today.