The Indian Ocean agricultural research for development platform, PRéRAD-OI, sets out its new ambitions

Institutional news 3 July 2020
PRéRAD-OI, the Indian Ocean regional agricultural research for development platform, is preparing to launch an observatory of agriculture within the southwestern Indian Ocean. The new structure will support the transformation of farms, particularly family farms, to foster the agroecological transition and address the food, health and environmental issues facing that part of the world. The platform is also planning to set up new scientific networks.
Clove-based agroforestry farms in eastern Madagascar could benefit from the regional observatory of agriculture within the Indian Ocean proposed by PRéRAD-OI © Eric Penot, CIRAD
Clove-based agroforestry farms in eastern Madagascar could benefit from the regional observatory of agriculture within the Indian Ocean proposed by PRéRAD-OI © Eric Penot, CIRAD

© Eric Penot, CIRAD

2020 is a landmark year for the Indian Ocean agricultural research for development platform, PRéRAD-OI. Structuring regional agricultural research was one of the scientific platform's first objectives. PRéRAD-OI was founded in 2014 under the aegis of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) - associating Madagascar, Comoros, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Réunion - and with the support of the Réunion Regional Council and the French government. The platform, which is led by CIRAD, federates more than fifty academic establishments, institutions and associations in the region, to work for sustainable development. "This longstanding partnership means we are now in a position to switch to a more operational phase", says Isabelle Mialet-Serra, in charge of regional cooperation at CIRAD in Réunion, who is coordinating the platform. One of the platform's first concrete operations, in 2021, will be the establishment, after an initial building phase, of an observatory of agriculture in the Indian Ocean (OA-OI).

A decision support tool

OA-OI is a regional version of an existing global tool: World Agriculture Watch (WAW/OAM), led by FAO, in which CIRAD is a key partner. WAW has developed a tried and tested methodology for comparing farms. "A tool suitable for this part of the Indian Ocean, which is characterized by a great variety of agroecological, political and socioeconomic situations", Isabelle Mialet-Serra adds. "Once it is up and running, OA-OI will serve to address the prevailing issues, through operations with an impact at ground level, notably via various levels of investment."

The first beneficiaries of the tool will be producers and their value chains. They will easily be able to compare their situation with similar family farms and estimate their scope for improvement. The observatory will also be a decision support tool for the authorities, enabling them to steer policy using the data gathered. Lastly, it will also help them and development agencies and NGOS to directly monitor the impact of their investment at ground level. In addition to the IOC member States, other parts of the region have already expressed an interest in OA-OI. The French département of Mayotte and other countries in southern Africa, such as Mozambique, look likely to participate.

Two new scientific networks

In addition to this new tool, PRéRAD-OI is continuing to forge links between the various partners in the region. The platform is planning to build two new scientific networks, in addition to the five it is already supporting. "The first will look at the use of plant biomass for energy purposes, a key issue in these areas, which are particularly dependent on fossil fuel imports" , says Isabelle Mialet-Serra. "As for the second, it will be addressing organic waste recycling in the soil, notably to preserve or restore their fertility." These two networks will eventually help steer farms in the region towards a circular economy.

A new image for a new ambition

To support this evolution and consolidate its links with its partners, the platform has adopted a new look. It has a revamped logo and a new website, and is now on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

"We are keen to make it easier to share the experiences of and the results obtained by the PRéRAD-OI community with economic players", Isabelle Mialet-Serra explains. "This will also be a mine of information for future partners keen to join in this collective intelligence to benefit sustainable development."