RSS-FeedThe ARD landscape in the Netherlands
Within the Netherlands, most ARD takes place at Wageningen UR. Wageningen UR's total budget from the Ministry of EL&I was €317 million in 2010, half of which went to the university and half to its applied research institutes. The university's research is driven by scientific considerations, while the agendas of the applied research institutes are driven by the Ministry’s policies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BuZa-DGIS) funds research and capacity building programmes and provides about €13 million in annual core funding to CGIAR institutes. It also supports international education and fellowship programmes, vital for student researchers in many countries.
The Ministry of EL&I also coordinates and funds the European Research Area for ARD (ERA-ARD). Through this network, agencies in 17 member countries cooperate to align research agendas and co-fund projects to synergise Europe’s impact with respect to the Millennium Development Goals.
Priorities
Dutch ARD's leading principles are to follow an agenda driven by demand from the South and to implement participatory approaches such as participatory action research, multi-stakeholder processes and social learning.
National research priorities follow primarily from international agreements and conventions such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development and Convention on Biological Diversity, in combination with Dutch development cooperation policy.
The Ministry of EL&I's policy-supporting knowledge domain “International Cooperation” aims to contribute to economic development, poverty reduction and sustainable use of natural resources in developing countries.
Main programmes
Under the Ministry of EL&I, fundamental ARD takes place at Wageningen UR, while applied ARD takes place at the relevant applied research institutes. The university and institutes work closely in five areas: agrotechnology and food, animal, environmental, plant and social sciences.
The Ministry of EL&I's research and capacity building cluster “International Cooperation” contributes to the roles of the Ministry in international frameworks outside of the EU and OECD. The basic premise is for more sustainable agriculture and food production in the context of a growing global population. The budget of this cluster is about €5 million per year.
Besides its core funding to CGIAR centres, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spends more than €200 million per year in the themes of Environment and Water and Sustainable Water Management. Many projects in the 20 target countries have an ARD focus.
The Ministry of OCW funds further research through NWO's WOTRO Science for Global Development. WOTRO's ARD themes include Global Food Systems, focusing on the worldwide connection and interdependency of the food supply.
Perspectives
Responsive to global needs, Dutch ARD will continue to be shaped by international policy, Dutch development cooperation, and demand from the South. The Netherlands will further this ever-changing agenda by strengthening links with other ARD actors through the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and regional fora; by building capacity and institutions at home and in the South; and by seeking more interactive means of upscaling that go beyond extension to the co-production of knowledge.
Funding mechanisms
The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (EL&I) funds the core of the Dutch ARD effort at Wageningen UR. This funding is split equally between fundamental research at the university, guided by scientific considerations, and applied research at the institutes guided by the Ministry’s policies. Internationally, cooperative ARD efforts are supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Education, Culture & Science (OCW) separately funds further research through the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)'s WOTRO Science for Global Development.
For all three ministries, research is ultimately demand-driven; Dutch ARD strives to respond to the needs of the South, and the Ministry's policy is informed by its own research program on International Cooperation, which focuses on economic development, poverty reduction and sustainable use of natural resources in developing countries.
Donors and Recipients
Donors
Organisation | ARD-Budget (€) Year 2010 |
|---|---|
Ministry of Foreign Affairs | 15,000,000 |
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture & Innovation (EL&I) | 7,000,000 |
Ministry of Education, Culture & Science (OCW) | 4,000,000 |
Recipients
CGIAR | 13,000,000 |
Wageningen UR | 5,000,000 |
WOTRO Science for Global Development | 4,000,000 |
Other | 6,000,000 |
List of selected Web based information
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture & Innovation (EL&I)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Education, Culture & Science (OCW)
Wageningen University and Research Centre
WOTRO Science for Global Development