Australia's vital role in agricultural research and food security on the global stage was in sharp focus at the Crawford Fund Forum in Sydney last Wednesday.
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Findings of the Crawford Fund's reports, including the 'NSW: Doing Well by Doing Good' report, revealed a ballpark benefit-cost ratio of 10 to one on investment in international agricultural research and many less quantifiable social, environmental, and diplomatic benefits for all involved.
"It's a no-brainer that more of Australia's development assistance budget should be invested in international agricultural research," Crawford Fund CEO Dr Colin Chartres, who presented the findings of the recent analyses, said.
"With a conservative benefit-cost ratio of 10 to one on investment and only 2.5 per cent of Australia's development-assistance budget (about $120 million) invested in it, surely it is in Australia's interests to increase the proportion invested in agricultural research to maximise our impact and grow those benefits for all."
Some NSW examples of partnering in and benefiting from agricultural research overseas cover plant biosecurity challenges, soil carbon and salinity management, and the personal and professional impacts on the next generation involved.
Guests heard about the expertise that NSW offers for food and nutrition security, the impacts of NSW-led projects in developing countries, the benefits of engaging NextGen in overseas work, and partnership opportunities for NSW researchers, students and organisations.
"It's a surprise for many to hear we gain access to new crop varieties, management technologies and biosecurity knowledge through Australia's work in developing countries," said Crawford Fund chair Dr Richard Sheldrake.
"Additional benefits beyond improving food and nutrition security for our neighbours include building scientific capacity, protecting and restoring natural resources, improving the environment and empowering women."
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) supports training delivered by the Crawford Fund.
Since 1982, ACIAR has commissioned and managed more than 1500 research projects in 36 countries.
ACIAR's investment across 40 years, from 1982 to 2022, came to $64 billion for partner countries, of which Australia was the sixth beneficiary of that research investment behind Indonesia, India, China and the Philippines.
NSW researchers have contributed to a variety of ACIAR-funded projects, including the development of fish passages in Laos and Cambodia, Chameleon Soil Water Sensor, coral reef restoration in the Philippines, beekeeping in the Pacific, establishing Vietnam's oyster industry, combatting stripe rust in South Asia, groundwater management in India, and community-based fisheries management in the Pacific.
ACIAR CEO, Professor Wendy Umberger, presented the keynote address on Food Security: Challenges, Opportunities and Achievements.
She believes Australia should be investing more money in agriculture research.
"Ag productivity is highly effective in reducing poverty," Prof Umberger said.
"When we can increase agricultural productivity, it has two times the impact on poverty alleviation relative to other countries' sectors.
"It directly raises farm incomes, generates employment, and improves nutrition and food security."
According to the latest Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations data, 2.4 billion, or 30 per cent, of the world's population is severely or has some level of food insecurity.
About 40pc of Asia's 4.7 billion people are food insecure.
Globally, in every region apart from Africa, there is a gender disparity; women are more food insecure in general, and following COVID-19, that gap widened.
"Food insecurity, particularly concerning women, is a much bigger issue in rural areas than urban areas, except in high-income countries such as Australia and the US, then you start to see food insecurity being more of an urban issue," Professor Umberger said.
"People are using the three Cs a lot now - climate, COVID-19 and conflict - they are all driving food insecurity.
"When we can address poverty, some of those humanitarian expenditures can be prevented by making farmers and agriculture more resilient."
