Biotech Updates

Agricultural Research Pays Its Way

April 20, 2011

In an impact assessment of its research and development, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Principal Advisor Dr. Simon Hearn said that agricultural research partnerships are effective and efficient forms of international development assistance that improves the livelihoods of the poor and assist Australian farmers along the way.

Successful investment results include the projects in fisheries in Indonesia with a benefit:cost ratio (BCR) of 52:1, breeding and feeding pigs in Vietnam (BCR 159:1), and in research identifying the sex pheromone of the sugarcane borer moth in Papua New Guinea, a BCR 46:1. In the 120 ACIAR projects, there was a total benefit of A$31.6 billion (A$15.9 billion attributable to ACIAR), from an outlay of A$372 million.

"These and other studies demonstrate the value of agricultural research partnership investments as an increasingly important part of Australia's development assistance program, a relevant consideration in the context of food security and development debates in Australia and overseas," he said.

Details on this news can be seen at http://aciar.gov.au/node/13511.