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Agricultural research and sustainable development: a network of excellence on the international scene
(08/01/2008)
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INRA |
Agriculture plays an essential role in meeting new development challenges at a global scale. The “Agricultural Research and Sustainable Development” network brings together high-calibre research in this field, tackling issues encountered in temperate, Mediterranean and tropical areas. It combines plant science - from genetics to plant populations - with innovative technical and socio-economic measures. The network was founded in October 2006 by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and CIRAD, along with Montpellier SupAgro, a higher education institution for agricultural studies. The network is supported by a Scientific Cooperation Foundation (FCS), with initial funding of 20 million euros. |
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Thanks to their recognised agronomic expertise in temperate, Mediterranean and tropical areas, and flush with the successful dynamics of the Agropolis International scientific hub, INRA, CIRAD and Montpellier SupAgro are working together to develop research aimed at:
- Fulfilling the growing demand for plants for both food and non-food purposes
- Encouraging agricultural adaptation to climate change in the North and South
- Dealing with risks related to drought, biological invasion and emerging diseases; ensuring food safety; combating the erosion of natural resources and biodiversity.
With this at stake, the three founding bodies have decided to create an “Agricultural sciences and sustainable development” network in Montpellier and Avignon with their partners. The network will focus mainly on:
- Plant systems biology that brings together several approaches: genetics and genomics, plant improvement, ecophysiology; knowledge of diseases and pests, integrated crop protection, population ecology, etc.
- Social and technical innovation: agro-environmental, agri-food and social innovation, as well as the social management of innovation.
This network brings together some 800 top research scientists and teacher-researchers, found on four specialised campuses equipped with powerful tools, and working in internationally-renowned research units.
> for further information on the RTRA
> the lists of the units involved
With the means to be placed at its disposal and the quality of its common system, the network will be able to assert its role in the forefront of the international scene, alongside other respected institutions such as Cornell (USA), Wageningen (the Netherlands), the John Innes Centre (United Kingdom) and the Max Planck Institute (Germany), as well as the network of International Agricultural Research Centres (CIRAs).
The Foundation aims to make the RTRA more open and attractive to the international community, mainly by offering host grants to top scientists, encouraging the elaboration and initiation of highly-visible seminal projects in cooperation with the best international teams, and reinforcing training programmes in and for research, especially for the countries of the South and the Mediterranean.
Research at INRA and CIRAD tackles issues related to agriculture, food and food safety, the environment and land management, for the promotion of sustainable development. INRA and CIRAD focus on temperate regions and the inter-tropical belt, respectively.
Montpellier SupAgro is, along with Agro ParisTech, one of the two flagship French higher education institutions in agricultural studies. |
Contact: puech@agropolis.fr
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Written by :
Communications Department
Label for the news :
Research example
Date of creation : 11/01/2008
Date of last update : 05/05/2008
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