Towards Usaid Re-Engaging in Supporting National Agricultural Research Systems in the Developing World

This paper represents a guidance to USAID on elements to incorporate into a strategy to improve agricultural research, and a technical brief to guide USAID investments in NARS strengthening. The paper is the final output from a one-day Roundtable which was held on March 5, 2013 and that brought together some 30 specialists in agricultural research and agricultural research systems to discuss which USAID interventions would best strengthen NARS in developing countries. The Roundtable was preceded by a draft Issues Paper, intended to expedite the Roundtable discussion, and an accompanying literature survey that highlights learning from more than five decades of NARS operations in many countries. Invited to participate in the Roundtable were institutions/persons involved in agricultural research from governments, donors, universities, private companies, NARS, Non-Government Organizations (NGO), and multinational agricultural research institutions.