INIA as manager of Spanish agricultural and agrifood research

Transcription

1 INIA as manager of Spanish agricultural and agrifood research Management R&D&I Research priorities of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation and National R&D&I Plan (extended) are structured as described in table 1 and table 2. Table 1 State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation Executive Lines of Action National Programmes Talent training and employability Incorporation of talent and employability Fundamental Research Projects. Challenge of Food Safety and Quality, Productive and Sustainable Agricultural Activity, Sustainability of Natural Resources and Marine and Maritime research Table 2 National R&D&I Plan (extended) Executive Lines of Action Scientific and Technological Infrastructures National Programmes Training of Hiring of Fundamental Research Projects Scientific-Technological Infrastructures INIA participates in all these programs as described below. Training PhD candidates and contributing to hiring of highly qualified researchers by centres of the Autonomous Regions continue to be one of INIA s national uppermost priorities, in line with the guiding principles of the National R&D&I Plan. In this aim INIA has allocated in million Euros for fellowships for PhD candidates and PhD graduates in research centres of most Autonomous Regions. This effort was co-financed by the European Social Fund. INIA s management of agricultural and agrifood R&D&I projects in Spain represents a pivotal contribution to Spanish research in these areas, not only because of the significant financing involved but more importantly, because it provides a tool for coordination and synchronization between national and regional interests and needs. This function balances and mutually complements the agrifood research capacity of the different Autonomous Regions, as INIA helps to coordinate the priorities among the general directorates of agrifood research of the 17 Autonomous Regions (CCAA) through a Coordination Commission of Agricultural Research, which in 2013 held two national meetings in Oviedo and Madrid. The main objective of the 2013 call for projects of the new National State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation was to address fundamental research needs of specific interest for the CCAA. Coordination among the different CCAA helps to solve shared problems, stimulate cooperation among research groups and foster and support activities to facilitate transfer from knowledge generation to the production sector. Financial support has been co-sponsored by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). In addition to R&D&I projects, INIA has managed the administration of five types of R&D&I complementary actions: a) activities to promote participation of Spanish scientists in international 41

2 programs; b) organization of national and international congresses, scientific meetings, workshops and courses; c) monographic publications of scientific-technical interest; d) support to concerted activities of scientifictechnical interest and e) support to the conservation of genetic resources of agricultural interest. Research Projects The priorities of the year 2013 included encouraging the efficiency of agricultural productivity, sustainability and promoting agricultural activities as the basis for an integrated rural development. The priority lines of this call are the following: I. Conservation and integral, efficient and sustainable management of agroecosystems and agroforestry and fishery resources. II. Sustainable improvement of agricultural production systems, livestock and forestry. III. Improvement and development of new systems, processes and production technologies and agro control including biorefineries. IV. Increase quality and safety of food and create new food products and bioproducts. V. Coordination and optimization of the food chain. VI. Safety, traceability, warning and risk management. VII. Improve competitiveness and sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture. 250 applications for R&D&I projects were submitted in 2013, involving a total of researchers (52% women and 48% men). This call will be evaluated and approved in Complementary actions types a), b), c) and d) The objective of the call for complementary actions type a), b), c) and d) was funding of activities oriented to increase scientific knowledge in the agrifood area. 97 applications for complementary actions were submitted in 2013, involving a total of 421 researchers (42% women and 58% men). Public research centres have been awarded the majority of projects (50%), followed by universities. This call will be evaluated and approved in Complementary actions type e) This action involved R&D&I projects to carry out activities to support the conservation of genetic resources of agricultural interest. In 2013 a new call of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation for genetic resources projects modality of permanent activities was launched. 25 applications for R&D&I projects were submitted in 2013, involving a total of 112 researchers (55% women and 45% men). This call will be evaluated and approved in In addition, in 2013 a total of 1.6 million Euros have been dedicated to fund research and development project activities in this area, included R&D&I genetic resources projects and permanent activities. Scientific and technical follow-up of current projects to determine the degree of achievement of objectives have also been carried out in Table 3 shows the list of gene banks integrated in the collections network of the programme for conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources. Table 3 shows the permanent activities financed for conservation of animal genetic resources. 42

3 Table 3 Gene banks integrated in the collection network of the programme for conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources Autonomous Regions and organisations Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries, Food and Organic Production Research and Training (IFAPA) CSIC. La Mayora experiment station Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon CSIC. Aula Dei experiment station Regional Service for Agrifood Research and Development Insular Council of Tenerife Canarian Institute for Agricultural Research (ICIA) General Directorate of Rural Development Agrifood Research and Technology Institute (IRTA) Lleida University Valencia Institute for Agricultural and Food Research (IVIA) Valencia Polytechnic University Miguel Hernández University Service for Research and Technological Development (SIDT). La Orden Experiment station CSIC-Galician Biological Mission Galician Institute of Food Quality (INGACAL) Institute of Madrid for Research and Rural Development, Agriculture and Food (IMIDRA) Madrid Polytechnic University Navarra Public University General Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock Basque Institute of Agricultural Research and development (NEIKER) Andalusia Aragon Asturias Olive, asparagus, strawberry Cherimoya Banks Horticultural crops. Almond, peach, cherry, pear. Maize, barley, wheat. Plum, apple, peach, Prunus rootstocks Apple Canary Islands Castilla-La Mancha Catalonia Potato, sweet potato Banana and mango Lentil, lavender and saffron Hazelnut, walnut, carob Apple, pear Comunidad Valenciana Citrus Extremadura Galicia Madrid Horticultural crops Pomegranate, quince Legumes, annual forage, grain legumes. Maize Navarra Maize, apple Grapevine Wild Cruciferae Apple, pear, plum and grapevine Apple País Vasco INIA Potato National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA). Plant Genetic Resources Centre (CRF) Seed base collections and active collections of cereals and grain legumes 43

4 Table 4 Permanent activities in conservation of animal genetic resources Autonomous Regions and organisations Cordoba University Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA) Banks Andalusia Animal germplasm bank in Andalusia Aragon In-situ conservation or Pyrenean breeds In situ conservation of ruminant breeds Agrifood Research and Technology Institute (IRTA) Autonomus University of Barcelona National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and technology (INIA). SGIT Catalonia Conservation of three Catalonian chicken breeds Conservation sperm bank of Majorcan and Catalan donkeys INIA Conservation of bovine, ovine and porcine semen Conservation of twelve Spanish breeds of chickens Infrastructure This action is included in the previous National R&D&I (extended 2012). In 2013 FEDER cofunds previous calls. Total amounts were increased in a 10% due to the approval the rate of cofund approved in 2013 by Decision of the European Commission. Therefore, in 2013 INIA funded an additional 10% of the infrastructure calls for 2009 and 2010; a total of 786 miles of euros was funded. Other activities These are directed to solve urgent problems that cannot depend on new calls and for which a multidisciplinary and inter-institutional participation is required. They are usually on-demand projects for emergency situations where the best teams are pulled together for collaboration. Examples of this type of projects are: adaptation of different ecotypes of small fruits and fig tree to organic production systems, evaluation of techniques for detection and diagnosis of transboundary and emerging diseases with relevance to animal health; characterization of pollution sources of Listeria monocytogenes in meat industry and inactivation during the preparation of cured ham. The amount allocated to these activities in 2013 was 1.8 million Euros. Coordination R&D&I INIA Fora INIA s forum objective is to stimulate communication among researchers who are doing research with public funds and researchers in the business sector, as well as with partners, companies, industry, producers and Technology Platforms. Its aim is to promote coordination between all these actors and, thus, encourage participation in the upcoming Spanish calls for research projects. The format of the fora is a series of short presentations in which researchers presented their research results meanwhile, companies, industry and technology platforms disclose their needs and problems, in order to reach a collaboration with researchers from the public sector. Forums are a valid tool to analyze the current state of Spanish agri-food system. This initiative began in late 2012 and since then and 44

5 throughout 2013 a total of 14 different thematic fora have been carried out, with the participation of 413 speakers. Some themes treated are: swine health, adaptation to climate change in cereals, beef cattle, animal health and welfare, agri-food subproducts, olive crops and olive oil, production and forestry industry, challenges of research in viticulture and enology, new demands and climate change adaptation in fruit pome and stone production; adaptation to the climate change in the citrus and subtropical production. Sectoral actions Competitiveness of the Spanish agri-food sector must be based on the permanent incorporation of new technologies in order to reduce production costs or market differentiation. Apart from the individual decisions of companies, INIA considered necessary to develop comprehensive research programs, specialized for productive sectors, in response to identified needs and opportunities to improve efficiencies, products and processes. The ultimate goal is to maximize the economic performance of agrifood sector. These sectorial research programs should be the basis for promoting cooperation among Spanish public and private agri-food research groups. This cooperation would lead to promote innovation and technology transfer. The initiative is leaded by INIA in coordination with CSIC, MINECO and MAGRAMA. During the year 2013 have been launched 7 sectoral projects: Valorisation of by-products of the food industry; Improving the profitability of the production of beef cattle in the field of suckler cows and fattening; Adaptation of sheep production systems to the market requirements; Development of new models for intensive horticulture; Improved competitive position of the stone fruit production; Integrated pest and disease control; Cereals. 45