AgriFose Food Security Post 2015 fas II

In order for research to be able to result in long-term impact on development and to contribute to change, collaboration with other development and key players at all levels is required to partly ensure that research is applicable and to gain the knowledge available to the target group. A knowledge-driven development towards productive and sustainable agriculture is based, among other things, on advanced research and education that is internationally rooted and that takes place in close collaboration with users and stakeholders. The proposed consortium of researchers has links to actors such as regional and global research institutions and has the opportunity to connect relevant actors and gather science to communicate new, practical and locally / regionally applicable knowledge, as well as important and relevant research results, syntheses, critical reviews, and meta-analyzes of agricultural-related research to actors involved in policy formulation for agricultural and rural development in low-income countries. The program is structured in four challenges; (i) improved access to safe and nutritious food; (ii) agricultural productivity and ecosystem functions; (iii) research-based innovation and extension; and iv) Rural and structural conversions related to smallholder farmers The four thematic areas are central to the development of the contribution of small farmers to a safer food supply in low-income countries. The program's three cross-cutting issues are; Sustainable intensification of agriculture; The role of women and young people in agriculture and Access to markets and value chains. The cross-section "sustainable intensification of agriculture" aims to identify key issues of policy relevance and to deliver critical compilations and syntheses of this rapidly growing area of research. These will, based on scientific studies, critically elucidate issues surrounding intensified production systems and analyse the consequences of biological and technological solutions for local usability, resource utilization and also social and economic sustainability to support the transformation of the small farms that have the conditions to develop. The second cross-cutting issue "the role of women and young people in agriculture" highlights the potential and obstacles that exist for increased participation and influence for rural women and youth, among others in agricultural entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship as well as in policy and development initiatives. An aging population active in agriculture and a growing underemployed youth generation is a global problem that the program addresses through this cross-cutting issue. The third cross-section "access to markets and value chains" contributes to relevant policy development and strategies to link users to markets both globally, regionally and locally and to develop stable, diversified markets and value chains that are accessible to small-scale users. The program also identifies a great potential for South-South knowledge exchange between Asia and Africa where one has different experiences but many similar challenges. The three cross-cutting issues and the four thematic areas create a holistic approach to agricultural policy globally. The knowledge will be collected, exchanged and communicated through research exchanges, intensive courses, workshops, policy briefs and international dialogue. The program web portal is to be found here: https://www.slu.se/en/collaboration/international/slu-global/agrifose/