ADVICE AND SERVICES

Intensification of agriculture will continue to be, and more so than in the past, the mainstay of production growth in the future. The challenges for international and national research systems are multiple: to meet the rising demand for food at affordable prices; to provide a catalyst for the evolution of rural economies through income and employment for the rural poor; and to protect and enhance the natural resource base on which agriculture depends as well as the sustainability of forest resources.

It is now widely recognized that what matters for a successful transition to more intensive agriculture, more than physical capital, is the capacity of farmers to be energetic agents open to and eager to adapt profitable innovations in both technology and management practices. The need to shift agriculture to more sustainable technologies and practices will attach an even higher premium to those capabilities. Therefore, a major thrust in policies of agricultural development must be directed to human resources development, involving all aspects from basic education to technical ones. Supporting services are concerned primarily with strengthening the capacity of national systems dealing with agricultural research, extension, education and training. Advice is largely concerned with the provision of support to policy-makers and agricultural trade, legal advisory services, development of agricultural information systems and such specialized activities as agricultural census-taking.

• Research, Extension and Training
  
• Policy Assistance
  
• Agricultural Trade
  
• Legal Advisory Services
  
• Information Systems
  
• Food and Agricultural Statistics