Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Department for International Development (DFID)—Letter
from Gillian Merron MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
When I answered questions on the African Development
Bank, your Committee also asked me an additional question on DFID's
view on agricultural research and how the UK's agricultural research
capacity can be used to help development.
I apologise for the delay in replying.
I am pleased to inform you that sustainable
agriculture is central part of DFID's new research strategy. We
also see that agricultural research is needed more than ever to
help tackle existing food insecurity and stop the situation getting
worse. Under the new research strategy we are planning to double
our support to agricultural research to £80 million per year
by 2010. This will include support to international agricultural
research institutions, regional institutions in Africa and Asia,
research into use programmes and joint programmes with UK research
councils. UK institutions are already making significant contributions
in all four of these areas.
An example of UK involvement is the joint programme
with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC) on sustainable agriculture for international development
£7.1 million of grants were awarded to UK and developing
country research institutions for crop science research. This
year we are planning to develop a similar research call on animal
health.
I hope this is helpful
Gillian Merron
22 May 2008
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