The UK-CGIAR Centre has been mentioned in CGIAR Response to Inquiry of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee’s into the role of science diplomacy and research and development (R&D) in supporting the UK Government’s growth missions, enhancing the UK’s international influence, and
contributing to national security.
The collaboration between the CGIAR and the UK science community is longstanding. Over 170 UK-based organizations, including private sector actors, are partnering with CGIAR centres in developing and scaling innovations. A prime example of the UK’s collaborative approach is the UK-CGIAR centre, bringing together scientists from the UK and CGIAR to form impact-focused research collaborations with research centres in the Global South. Launched in 2023, the centre supports the goals of the International Technology Strategy by using the UK’s strengths in science and technology to address the connected challenges of global food security and climate change. Funded through a grant from FCDO’s CGIAR support programme, the centre comprises four core members: the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), CGIAR and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The UK-based intergovernmental organisation CABI acts as the Secretariat.
Only sixteen months into its existence, the centre has already brought together nine UK institutes,
including the John Innes Centre, the Norwich Institute of Sustainable Development, the University of Leeds, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), seven CGIAR research centres and sixteen research bodies from the Global South. Examples of current
research areas are:
Sustainable crop management and Climate Smart Agriculture
Crop Genetic Improvement for future climate resilience
Nutrition enhancement
Livestock improvement, animal health, nutrition and welfare
We welcome the previous government’s International Technology Strategy, especially its prioritisation
of “engineering biology.” It is encouraging to see that developing resilient, nutritious crops and
alternative foods are highlighted in this context. The UK’s commitment to identifying and supporting
opportunities for international collaboration is a particularly positive aspect of this strategy. Based on
this positive collaboration, we recommend that innovative partnerships, such as the UK-CGIAR Centre,
should be an important element of the UK’s science diplomacy.
Read the full submission here.
Image credit: Ben Zibble/Flickr.