The European Initiative for Agricultural Research for Development (EIARD) is an informal European donor coordination platform on agri-food research and innovation (R&I) in low- and middle-income countries. The platform to foster exchanges to promote coherent European policies and investments at international, regional and sub‐regional levels in order to increase the impact of agri-food R&I systems, in particularly towards advancing on the SDGs. 

EIARD activities are around two key areas:

• Coordination of European investments in the CGIAR – the world’s largest public global research platform for sustainable agriculture and food systems.
• Coordination of European policies and investment in strengthening agri-food R&I organisations at global, (sub-)continental, and national levels in the Global South.

EIARD comprises the European Commission (EC), interested Member States of the European Union (EU), Switzerland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. The Initiative is currently chaired by the EC’s DG International Partnerships (INTPA).

History

EIARD was proposed at the Research Council of Ministers of the European Union (EU) in September 1994 in order to improve the coordination of national and international agricultural research for development efforts. The Initiative was launched during a high-level ministerial meeting in Lucerne in February 1995 by the Presidency of the EU through a political statement from the Council. To ensure EIARD’s continuity and legitimacy, the European Commission (EC) prepared a Communication that was endorsed by the Council and the European Parliament in 1997.

The EIARD Secretariat was hosted by the Commission’s DG Research and Innovation (RTD) from 1997 to late 2016. EIARD operated outside the normal EU procedures for committee systems and, as a result, it had no formal status. During this period, DG RTD supplied office space and equipment and covered mission costs for the EIARD Executive Secretary; the latter was provided by an EIARD (non-EC) member through a seconded National Expert. By late 2016, DG RTD was no longer able to host the EIARD Secretariat due to financial and human resources’ constraints. DG Development Cooperation (DEVCO, currently INTPA – International Partnerships) strongly believed that EIARD should stay inside the Commission and funded a part-time consultant for a transitional period. After this period, Germany offered to host the EIARD Secretariat at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Bonn for three years (2017-2019).

The Chair of EIARD normally rotates on a two-year cycle and is selected among its members. Most recent chairs were Norway (2014-2016), Sweden (2016-2018) and Switzerland (2018-2020); DG INTPA has been EIARD’s chair since 2021 and is also providing funding for additional technical support.

Since its establishment EIARD has influenced agri-food R&I policies of EU and the EIARD member countries through its activities and coordinated work. It has also contributed actively to the transformation of CGIAR’s governance and strategy.