The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), through its Communications and ISNAR Divisions, has dedicated much time and effort to analyzing public-private partnerships for food and agriculture in developing countries. IFPRI’s research has covered many policy aspects of the food and agricultural sector, including conventional crop breeding, agricultural biotechnology, processing and value addition, and small-scale agro-industry. Key elements of this research agenda were highlighted at a seminar on “Cooperation in Agricultural Research: A Review of Research on Public-Private Partnerships” held in Frankfurt, Germany in February 2004.
To build on this research agenda, IFPRI believes it is time to focus on action and results. Now is the time for public organizations, private firms, and civil society to come together and search for ways of building stronger partnerships to meet the needs of small-scale farmers and food-insecure consumers.
We know that improving the performance of the food and agricultural sector ranks high among investments that will boost economic growth and reduce poverty in developing countries. By bringing together the different experiences and capacities of public organizations, private firms, and civil society, we can pursue a joint research-and-innovation agenda explicitly designed to benefit the poor in developing countries.
There are mutual benefits to this partnership approach. The public sector can leverage greater expertise and resources to solve complex development problems. The private sector can gain access to new markets, expand its client base, and enhance its reputation. Civil society can improve its ability to deliver new opportunities for underserved communities and households.
Yet the reality is that we are not realizing the full potential this partnership approach holds for resource-poor, small-scale farmers and food-insecure consumers in developing countries.
The goal of this international dialogue is to identify opportunities for more effective pro-poor public-private partnerships, covering the full range of on-farm production, off-farm agroindustry, distribution, and marketing. We intend to outline options that will create an enabling policy and investment environment, and to develop solutions that will foster more effective pro-poor partnerships in food and agriculture.
The expected outcome of this international dialogue is to enhance food security and poverty reduction through well-designed pro-poor public-private partnerships in food and agriculture.
To achieve that outcome, we intend to explore the following areas:
- Improving the prospects for action by
Identifying priority areas in which public-private partnerships can reduce poverty, improve food security, and contribute to agriculture-led development
Building consensus on promising joint initiatives and investments among leading cropscience/agrifood companies, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), public-sector research institutions, and civil society organizations working with the food and agricultural systems of developing countries - Improving the potential of partnerships by
Overcoming the structural and policy impediments to public-private partnerships through innovative approaches to organizing and financing partnerships—including private provision and delivery of public goods—and to managing intellectual property rights, risk, and liability
Promoting state-of-the-art research on tools that will enhance the evaluation and assessment of public-private partnerships - Sharing information on new approaches and perspectives by
Drawing a road map for future action-oriented dialogues among the public sector, private sector, and civil society
Establishing an information clearinghouse to share experiences and lessons learned from global, regional, and local partnerships in food and agriculture