AIRCA (Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture) is a nine-member alliance focused on increasing global food security by supporting smallholder agriculture within healthy, sustainable and climate-smart landscapes. The combined expertise of AIRCA centers cover a large spectrum of the research for development continuum including agrobiodiversity, agroforestry, integrated pest management, drought-tolerance crops, natural resource management and the conservation and use of underutilized species. For more information, please visit the official website of AIRCA at http://www.airca.org/ The nine-member alliance comprises of: AVRDC – Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center CABI – Centre for Agriculture and Bio-Sciences International CATIE – Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center CFF – Crops for the Future ICBA – International Center for Biosaline Agriculture ICIMOD – International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development ICIPE – International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology IFDC – International Fertilizer Development Center INBAR – International Network for Bamboo and Rattan

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Members Key Facts
 9 independent centers
 > $200 million funding
 Supported by major donors and
foundations
 Member country ownership
(>60 countries, >70% world population)
 Activity in all major geographic regions
and ecosystem types
 Proven track record of
research, development and
implementation across a wide range of
crops and ecosystems
 AVRDC
 CABI
 CATIE
 CFF
 ICBA
 ICIMOD
 icipe
 IFDC
 INBAR

4. Alleviation of poverty and malnutrition in the
developing world through the increased production
and consumption of safe vegetables
Improves people’s lives by providing information and
applying scientific expertise to solve problems in
agriculture and the environment
Contributes to rural poverty reduction by promoting
competitive and sustainable agriculture and natural
resource management, through higher
education, research and technical cooperation
Helps partners to generate, synthesise and promote
knowledge on neglected and underutilised crops for the
benefit of the poor and agricultural sustainability
Achieving greater water, environment, income and food
security through research and development that aims to
improve agricultural productivity and sustainability in
marginal environments by improved and better access to
technology, improved germplasm, policies, and strategies
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5. Focuses on increasing productivity across the agricultural
value chain in developing countries by the creation and
transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient
technology and agribusiness expertise
Helps alleviate poverty, ensure food security and improve the
overall health status of peoples of the tropics by developing
and extending management tools and strategies for harmful
and useful arthropods, while preserving the natural resource
base through research and capacity building
Enables and facilitates the equitable and sustainable well-
being of the people of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas by
supporting sustainable mountain development through
active regional cooperation
Improves the well-being of the producers and users of
bamboo and rattan within the context of a sustainable bamboo
and rattan resource base
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6.  Focus on increasing food security through
development of interdisciplinary solutions to the
existing and emerging challenges of smallholder
agriculture.
 An approach that emphasizes:
◦ Direct interactions with farmers, NARES, NGOs and private
sector
◦ Scientific assessment of the effectiveness of existing
management practices and technologies
◦ Research and development on staple and non-staple food
crops for diversified and sustainable diets and production
systems
◦ Integration of activities concerning health of people, plants,
animals and landscapes
◦ Knowledge generation, exchange, access and transfer

7.  Key role at development end of R&D continuum
 Focus on putting research into use
 Member country linkages and mandate
 Engagement with regional networks and policy makers
 Delivery through partnerships with local, national, regional
and international organisations
 Broad spectrum science-based capacity development for
impact
 Problem and demand driven, not technology push

8.  Complementary research partnerships – specialist
capabilities and resources
 Novel strategies to transform scientific outputs into
policies, approaches and tools for uptake
 Platforms, locations and networks
 Catalysing innovation to deliver development
impact at scale
 Creating and mentoring public/private partnerships
 Addressing critical gaps and niches

9. Improving smallholder
productivity
Healthy landscapes
 Soil fertility management
 Water utilization,
prevention and adaptation
to salinization
 Crop diversity
 Losing less of what we
grow
 Integrated crop
management
 Supporting good health and
better nutrition
 Multiple scales
 Multifunctional systems
 Integrated planning
 Preserving environmental
services
 Protecting biodiversity
Support
 Helping farmers put
research into use
 Mainstreaming gender
 Respecting indigenous
communities and their
knowledge
 Providing evidence of
impact
 Governance structures,
institutions and policies
Better nutrition, increased incomes, greater opportunity
Improved quality of life, greater social stability
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