AIRCA (Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture) is a nine-member alliance focused on Increasing global food security by supporting smallholder agriculture within healthy sustainable and climate-smart landscapes.

Vision:

Healthy landscapes for improved livelihoods and food security.

Mission:

Putting research into use by strengthening capacities for sustainable improvements to incomes, food and nutrition security in healthy landscapes.

Landscape challenges

• Multiple & complex interactions (soil, water, crops, animals, humans, biodiversity, ecology).
• Agriculture vs Ecosystem services.
• Farm vs Non-Farm Occupations.
• Cross-Border issues.
• Government priorities and cooperation.
• Need to make trade-offs and capture synergies.
• Lack of good metrics.

The Broader Context

• Need for integrated landscape planning to support both development and conservation.
• Recognize complex system interactions and trans-boundary issues.
• Preserve or restore ecosystem services.
• Protect biodiversity and combat invasive species.
• Develop new agriculture practices to adapt to climate change.
• Improve land use planning to adapt to climate impacts.

Why AIRCA?

• Need for integrated action to deliver sustainable agricultural intensification at the landscape scale has stimulated the formation of the Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA).
• AIRCA is a nine-member alliance focused on increasing food security by supporting smallholder agriculture and rural enterprise within healthy, sustainable and climate-smart landscapes.
• AIRCA members are:
  • AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center (Shanhua, Taiwan)
  • CABI - CAB International (Wallingford, England, United Kingdom)
  • CATIE - Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (Cartago, Costa Rica)
  • CFF - Crops For the Future (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
  • ICBA - International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
  • ICIMOD - International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (Kathmandu, Nepal)
  • icipe - African Insect Science for Food and Health (Nairobi, Kenya)
  • IFDC - International Fertilizer Development Center (Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA)
  • INBAR - International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (Beijing - China)
• Supported by more than 60 member countries comprising over 70% of the world's population, AIRCA members have activities in all major geographic regions and ecosystem types.
• All have a proven track record of research, development and implementation, working closely with farmers, extension systems, national research institutes, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector across a wide range of crops and ecosystems.

What can AIRCA contribute?

• Experience of varied and challenging ecosystems (geography, climate and politics).
• Expertise in a wide range of crops.
• Focus on diverse crops of high economic, nutritional or cultural value.
• Development of metrics (economics and biology).
• Innovative mechanisms for communication, knowledge transfer and capacity building.
• Creative strategies to assess outcomes and impact.