International Development

We work on international development projects in Africa, the Pacific, India and Southeast Asia including Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR. Within these contexts our research is designed to:

Improve food and nutrition security and reduce poverty.
Understand implications of changing farming systems.
Facilitate technology adoption and behaviour change.
Increase net farm incomes.
Empower women.
Use Participatory Action Research.

Active projects

Building the evidence base on the impacts of mobile financial services for women & men in farming households in Laos & Cambodia

While great claims are made about mobile finance as a critical enabling factor for agricultural development, little is known about how it affects the livelihoods and well-being of women and men in farming households. This project aims to develop an evidence base on the economic and social impacts of mobile financial services for women and men in farming households with a particular focus on Laos and Cambodia.

Enhancing private sector-led development of the canarium industry in PNG Phase 2

Research under the ACIAR/TADEP project FST/2014/099 (Phase 1) has piloted semi-commercial processing of galip products and has already given over 1000 smallholder farmers in East New Britain access to new markets. The project has also supported small-scale female entrepreneurs to make their own value-added canarium products. There is great potential for galip processing to scale out to other areas such as Bougainville, New Ireland, Sepik and Madang.

Agricultural Policy Research to Support Natural Resource Management in Indonesia’s Upland Landscapes

This project’s research activities provide an understanding of how existing national and local policies (e.g., public investments, property rights, extension, fertiliser and water subsidies, trade policies, and taxes) influence farm household decisions that result in these environmental externalities.

Enhancing livelihoods from improved forest management in Nepal

This project builds on the success and lessons of the 5-y project FST/2011/076, Enhancing livelihoods and food security from agroforestry and community forestry in Nepal, also known as the EnLiFT project.

Increasing irrigation water productivity in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe through on-farm monitoring, adaptive management and Agricultural Innovation Platforms

This project is about increasing irrigation water productivity and changing farmer behaviour in three south-eastern African countries.

Aligning genetic resources, production and postharvest systems to market opportunities for Pacific island and Australian cocoa

This project will build on past work by adopting a “whole of chain” approach, focused on specific market needs and opportunities: evaluating and disseminating appropriate genetic resources, raising agronomic productivity, and developing and encouraging the uptake of best practice in fermentation and drying to optimise cocoa quality.

Transforming markets for high-value agricultural commodities in Indonesia

The overall aim of this project is to more effectively promote the growth and development of Indonesia's fresh fruit and vegetable value chains, focusing specifically on ways smallholders and rural communities can participate and benefit.

Improving market engagement, postharvest management and productivity of the Cambodian and Lao PDR vegetable industries

The overall objective of this project is to develop innovative production and supply chain systems that enable the vegetable industry to meet year round consumer demand for vegetables in Cambodia and Lao PDR.

Improving returns from community teak plantings in Solomon Islands

The project aims to develop a practical model suited to Small Island States that enables existing small scale teak plantations to be utilised and provide growers with good returns.

Completed projects

Improving milk supply, competitiveness and livelihoods in smallholder dairy chains in Indonesia

In June 2016, ACIAR and GoI approved the research project titled ‘AGB/2012/099: Improving milk supply, competitiveness and livelihoods in smallholder dairy chains in Indonesia’, also known as IndoDairy.

Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative Phase 2 - PARDI 2

PARDI 2 is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and has a geographical focus on Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga (with extension to Kiribati, Samoa and Solomon Islands).

Philippines Smallholder Dairy: Landscape Analysis and Research Priorities

Developing the domestic dairy industry is seen as a priority for the Philippines Government. A request to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) by the Philippines Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) initiated the development of this Small Research Activity (SRA) proposal to undertake a scoping exercise and landscape analysis of the dairy industry.

Enhancing private sector-led development of the canarium industry in PNG Phase 1

This project focuses on expanding markets and processing of canarium products by the private sector, linking with other TADEP Projects, and collaborating with government and non-government agencies.

A strategic approach to pro-poor market and consumer research in China and the Mekong region

This research is now being conducted in a project "The Vietnam urban food consumption & expenditure study".

Enhancing value added products and environmental benefits from agroforestry systems in the Pacific

This project will explore opportunities for new value-added agroforestry products to improve livelihoods in PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

Towards more profitable and sustainable vegetable systems in north west Vietnam

The overall objective of this project is to enhance the profitability and sustainability of smallholder vegetable farmers in north western Vietnam through improved market engagement and integrated resource and farm management practices.

Value chain and policy interventions to accelerate zero-till adoption across the Indo-Gangetic Plains

This project is aimed at accelerating the adoption of ZT seed drills (including the Australian-Indian designed Happy Seeder) to reduce crop residue burning and boost sustainable food energy water security across the Gangetic Plains of northern India.

Developing smallholder inclusive food value chain models for local and global markets

The project studies the dairy, meat, fish and horticulture sectors and draw on the experience of farmers in six economies.

Asian Food in Transition: Priority Research for Food Security and Sustainable Futures in Australia, China and the Asia-Pacific Region

The Group Mission successfully identified a range of critical challenges and impacts facing China, and connected the need to understand and inform debate regarding how China's responses to these will affect Australia, the region (including developing countries) and global markets.

Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative (PARDI)