The challenges facing the global agricultural and food sector remain numerous and complex. Despite regional successes in combating hunger and poverty, the number of undernourished and malnourished people is increasing worldwide. Agricultural production is affected by many factors. Fertile soil is being lost through erosion, construction and inappropriate land management. Biodiversity is under threat. The effects of climate change are exacerbating all these problems by spreading new animal and plant diseases and extreme weather phenomena such as drought, torrential rain and floods. Other factors such a changing consumption habits and the sustained trend towards urbanization leading to further food losses in transport, processing and trade, to name but a few, are adding to the tremendous challenges.

International agricultural research has an important role to play in addressing these challenges. For example, innovative technologies, improved crop varieties and environmentally friendly farming methods – developed at these centers – help smallholder farmers in developing countries to tackle the challenges of establishing sustainable production and generating income.

The Fund for Human Capacity Cooperation with Partners of International Agricultural Research (PIAF) places German and European CIM integrated experts according to the partners’ demand in development-relevant positions at international agricultural research centers, chiefly at the centers of the CGIAR partnership. In addition to the CGIAR centers, some of which are headquartered in Asia or operate in and from Asia, the Fund cooperates with the World Vegetable Center (headquartered in the Republic of China, Taiwan) and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, two centers with complementary research areas.