The European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development

AGRINATURA has two pillars - an Association, open to all European agricultural research and education organisations, and a European Economic Interest Grouping (AGRINATURA-EEIG), as its operational arm. AGRINATURA was established in 2009 form the joining forces of NATURA and ECART-EEIG.

NATURA as the Network of European Agricultural (Tropically and Sub-tropically oriented) Universities and Scientific Complexes Related with Agricultural Development established in 1988 has celebrated its 20th anniversary of active participation in agricultural education and research issues. NATURA has been collaborating with ICA for long time and became an ICA Standing Committee in 2005.

ECART-EEIG was the European Consortium for Agricultural Research in the Tropics, which offered European research skills and expertise in agricultural research for development (ARD) in an accessible manner and encouraged effective co-ordination of research activities within Europe. It was mainly a consortium of research institutes.

NATURA decided in 2009 to join forces with ECART-EEIG and became AGRINATURA. It presently involves 31 members from 18 European countries. AGRINATURA gathers together the most important European universities and training and research centres that are involved in tropical and subtropical agriculture.

AGRINATURA strengthens agricultural training and research for international development among its members. It sets up and runs joint activities between members and with external partners in research and training.

AGRINATURA functions through networking to promote:

• institutional reinforcement of universities, national research centres and partners in agricultural research and capacity building for development, both in the North and in the South
• alignment of the scientific and technical potential among AGRINATURA members,
• partnerships between its European member organizations and other research and training stakeholders in Europe and in the developing countries,
• policy dialogue and research for development advocacy.

Activities are undertaken by AGRINATURA members and partners from developing and emerging economies, usually with the support from bilateral and multilateral donors. AGRINATURA is playing active role into following main areas:

• Capacity building & training

AGRINATURA promotes European Master courses organized jointly by its members, such as the AGRIS MUNDUS Master on Sustainable Development in Agriculture. It also offers European Masters of professional studies delivered by its members.

It supports the design and the execution of capacity building initiatives in the developing countries, such as regional degrees or joint programmes offered by consortia of universities in the developing countries.

• Stimulating research

AGRINATURA encourages cutting-edge agricultural research for development as well as the support of young scientists in research projects in the South. AGRINATURA facilitates communication between its members and external partners to build joint programmes or proposals. It plays a proactive role in extending research results into development.

• Providing expertise

AGRINATURA is consulted by donors to monitor and assess research projects, like the European Commission and IFAD for the monitoring of European Commission funded projects in the CGIAR.

For all these activities, AGRINATURA cooperates with international organizations dealing with capacity building and research in agriculture for development, such as FARA, ANAFE, RUFORUM, and SEARCA.

More information:

Petra Chaloupková (Holíková)
AGRINATURA Association Secretariat
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Kamycka 129
165 21 Prague 6
Czech Republic

Tel: +420 224 382 011
Fax: +420 224 382 012

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