CIRAD, AFD and its subsidiaries Expertise France and Proparco strengthen their partnership in support of sustainable agriculture in the global South

A multi-dimensional framework agreement to tackle global challenges

This strategic partnership, initiated five years ago, has been extended for four years via an ambitious framework agreement centring on four major priorities: stepping up strategic dialogue, supporting international initiatives, developing shared intellectual outputs and boosting impact on public policy.

Those strategic priorities are intended to:

• Accelerate agroecological transitions
• Step up One Health approaches
• Preserve biodiversity
• Boost food sovereignty.

The partners intended to work together to support research programmes, deploy experts and back innovative initiatives in developing countries. This quadripartite framework agreement is proof of a joint commitment on the part of the four partners to sustainable, innovative agricultural development in the global South, in a context in which the challenge of feeding ten billion people by 2050 warrants a rethink of agricultural and consumption models.

Broader, stronger collaboration

The extension of the collaboration with Expertise France and the inclusion of Proparco in this collaborative drive is a significant step forward. It will diversify the range of interactions, notably with the private sector, and boost capacity to intervene in complementary fields, from providing technical support to structuring economic value chains. The extension reflects a shared desire to combine science, expertise and cooperation in favour of sustainable, supportive development, a commitment that both reflects the complex issues of today and anticipates those of tomorrow.

By pooling their skills, CIRAD, AFD, Expertise France and Proparco intend to address contemporary agricultural issues: food security, adaptation to climate change, ecosystem preservation and territorial economic development.

About AFD Group

AFD Group contributes to implementing France’s policy on sustainable development and international solidarity. The Group includes Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which finances the public sector and NGOs, as well as research and education in sustainable development; its subsidiary Proparco, which is dedicated to private sector financing; and Expertise France, a technical cooperation agency. The Group finances, supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world.
With our partners, we are building shared solutions with and for the people of more than 150 pays, and in 11 French Overseas Departments and Territories .
Our objective: To reconcile economic development with the preservation of common goods: the climate, biodiversity, peace, gender equality, education and health. Our teams are involved in more than 4800 projects in the field, which are part of the commitment of France and the French people to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. For a world in common. Further information on www.afd.fr

About CIRAD

CIRAD is the French agricultural research and international cooperation organization working for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions. It works with its partners to build knowledge and solutions for resilient farming systems in a more sustainable, inclusive world. It mobilizes science, innovation and training in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Its expertise supports the entire range of stakeholders, from producers to public policymakers, to foster biodiversity protection, agroecological transitions, food system sustainability, health (of plants, animals and ecosystems), sustainable development of rural territories, and their resilience to climate change. CIRAD works in some fifty countries on every continent, thanks to the expertise of its 1800 staff members, including 1240 scientists, backed by a global network of some 200 partners. It also supports French science diplomacy operations.