Networking in International Agricultural Research
Donald L. Plucknett 1 and
Nigel J. H. Smith 2
1 Scientific adviser to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, World Bank, Washington, D.C. 20433.
2 Associate professor of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611.
Informal and structured collaboration is becoming increasingly common in international agricultural research. A network approach to research generally reduces costs, minimizes duplication, and boosts efficiency. Collaborative teams, sometimes involving hundreds of scientists in dozens of countries, have been formed to tackle numerous constraints to boosting food production. Networks have been established to test crop germplasm over a broad range of environments, explore ways of boosting the efficiency of fertilizer use, upgrade disease resistance in livestock, and identify socioeconomic obstacles to improved agricultural output. The benefits of networking are especially valuable to countries with limited funds and scientific manpower.
