IFPRI’s partnership with Australia traces back to its inception when it was fortunate to have a world-renowned Australian economist Sir John Crawford as its first board chairman. For the years that followed, IFPRI worked with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) on sustainable agricultural growth that engages the private sector, country-led strategy development, investment in agricultural research, provision of safety nets to strengthen resilience, prioritization of nutrition interventions for women and children, design of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, and partnerships with other stakeholders in global movements, such as Scaling Up Nutrition. Together, IFPRI and the ACIAR produced high quality research that improved programs and policies to help the vulnerable.
ACIAR’s Chief Executive Officer, Nick Austin, shared his thoughts on the impact of IFPRI work during its 40th Anniversary celebration in November 2015.
“Some of the key elements…of IFPRI’s success and impact relate to three things…the quality of research and really high impact of the research. Secondly, the focus—doing the right things at the right time. Thirdly…the engagement with high-level decision makers globally.”
