A Review of Tropical Forestry and Agroforestry Problem Areas and Policy Research Needs and the Planned Response of the CGIAR System

Abstract

"Recognizing that policy research would become a high priority for CGIAR related forestry and agroforestry research, it was decided in 1990 to sponsor a series of forestry and agroforestiy policy workshops involving national forest policy and research institution leaders, representatives of local and international NGOs and donor agencies. The objective was to obtain a better understanding of the main problem areas that could benefit from a CGIAR strategic research input. The key issues that emerged from the five workshops are summarized in this report. Tropical forestry and agroforestry problem areas and policy research needs are reviewed in Part I and Annex 3 of the report. Based on the discussion in Part I, Part II introduces the policy research programs of the CGIAR Centres, focusing on CIFOR, ICRAF and IFPRI, and presents the research priority setting and planned responses of these CGIAR Centres to each of the identified five problem areas. The program of intercentre collaboration and possible research activities outlined in the report is based on unconstrained resources which would ensure that CIFOR, ICRAF and IFPRI are allocated the resources requested in their Medium Term Plans. Thus, the Workshop series and this final report should not only be viewed as a research agenda which will trigger immediate responses but also as a useful mechanism for formulating the CGIAR Centres' long-term policy research direction and research needs to be addressed by national research institutions."