Biodiversity management, integrated protection of crops and animals, emerging diseases, new agricultural policy and incentives, the role of soils and how they function, relations between food and health, how agriculture can contribute to sustainable development... the list goes on. For several years now, the CIRAD Annual Report has opted to highlight the main results obtained by our researchers: research that has led to publications, development operations, and the construction of partnerships and networks. Many of those results have already been covered on the CIRAD website and in the media.

Moreover, this year, the report analyses the changes in the indicators specified under the contractual agreement and in CIRAD's scientific operations, over the duration of the agreement, which expired in 2005. It represents an assessment of the progress made.

2005 also saw restructuring at CIRAD, whose scientific operations are now split between research units. This reform has made us more similar to the other French research organizations. It calls for a debate on our modes of governance and management structure.

CIRAD has been centre-stage, with various partners, this year: we co-organized a conference on opening up Europe to partners in developing countries, led several major STI projects in Africa, and initiated coordination of biodiversity operations in European overseas regions. Internal debates, such as the report by the “CIRAD 2015” group, have helped us to look at the various prospects for the future and confirm the choices made as to our position, given our potential for research on issues concerning developing countries.

CIRAD 2005 is accompanied by the CIRAD CD-ROM. The CD includes a full-text version of the report and various other items of information, including the CIRAD address book, publications and theses by CIRAD researchers, institutional communication documents.

CONTENTS

Foreword
by Patrice Debré, Chair, Board of Trustees, and Gérard Matheron, Director General

Research results

Knowledge overview

Wood productivity of dry savannahs in Africa
Millet and sorghum in Niger: sustainable genetic diversity
Gregarious instinct of the migratory locust: a genetic predisposition
Morphological adaptability of rice to the environment: new prospects
Mango quality
Liberalizing global agriculture: a poverty control strategy?
Assessment of the biofuel potential in the tropics

Surveillance

Bird flu: vigilance and capacity building Emerging vector-borne diseases in Europe Plant genome invasion by pararetroviruses: what are the risks?
Begomoviruses, a scourge of market garden crops
Heavy metals in Réunion’s soils
Cutting pesticide use in the French West Indies
Mycorrhizal discoveries in the mining scrublands of New Caledonia

Networks and decision support

Cotton: Malian producers will pay a heavy price
Research and information capacity building for rangeland systems in the Sahel
Forest management schemes: efforts paying off in the Central African Republic
A future for sandalwoods in the South Pacific
Supporting supply management for cane sugar mills
The peasants’ university in Brazil The dynamics of collective action

Innovations

Enhancing the natural durability of woods
Database on the antioxidant content of foods
New ways to tap the potential of castor beans A new indicator of natural rubber quality
Early detection of oil palm resistance to a devastating fungus
A nitrogen agroenvironmental impact indicator for oil palm plantations

Prospects

2015—so far, but yet so near
What is the status of international cooperation in the Europe of Knowledge?
Bridging the North-South digital divide
Island biodiversity

Indicators

Human resources and changing skills
Policy on scientic operations and partnerships Technology transfer and development Financial resources Quality policy

CIRAD at a glance

Organizational chart in April 2006
CIRAD worldwide

Full-text report (PDF, 2 MB, English version): http://www.cirad.fr/en/le_cirad/pdf/cirad05.pdf