Rethinking international partnerships in agricultural research
October 28, 2026
By Shaun Coffey FTSE FAIA CRSNZ FAICD
A new European policy paper challenges how we finance, organise and sustain international agricultural research partnerships.
In Rethinking Europe’s Global Partnerships for Agriculture R&D, Ismahane Elouafi and Aniss Khalid argue that the changing geography of scientific capability demands a different approach to international cooperation.
Countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America increasingly contribute to scientific discovery and innovation. Yet research funding and governance arrangements have been slower to recognise these changes.
The authors advocate three shifts:
- Reciprocal partnerships, where institutions jointly define research priorities and share scientific leadership.
- Long-term investment in capability, including people, institutions, research infrastructure and networks.
- Better financing arrangements, connecting public research investment with development finance and pathways to adoption.
The paper also highlights the substantial returns from international agricultural research. CGIAR-related crop technologies generated an estimated USD 1.34 trillion in cumulative economic benefits between 1961 and 2020.
For Australia, the implications deserve attention. International agricultural research strengthens our own resilience while contributing to global food security.
The question is whether our funding arrangements adequately support the long-term capabilities on which future discoveries depend.
