The French Commission for international agricultural research (CRAI) is a consultative organ between the French research institutions (CIRAD, INRA, IRD, IRSTEA, Agreenium) and the Ministry for Agriculture, Food, Fischeries, Rural Affairs and Land Use Planning, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

 

The CRAI, created in 1978, is the interface between the French research institutions and the international agricultural research system, of which the CGIAR is a component. The CRAI organizes the exchange and the dissemination of information between research institutes and ministries and is the French representative authority within European coordination authorities in charge of research for development (EIARD, EFARD, etc.), CGIAR governing authorities and all the other relevant stakeholders involved in the international agricultural research system (GFAR, etc.).

The commission is also in charge of following up the recommendations of the AERES (Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher education) report and has undertaken within this framework a strengthening work that led to the appointment of a president, the entering of CNRS within the CRAI, the negotiation and the signature by the research institutions of a ' France-CGIAR common agenda' in the areas of Training, Research and Foresight, and the continuation of the active involvement in the European authorities working on multilateral international agricultural research.

CRAI was also involved in the preparation of the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD), from March 28 to 31, 2010 in Montpellier, organized by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) with the support of Agropolis International