Public-sector financing remains the dominant source of funding, but—as in many countries—public funding has come under severe pressure in recent years. In the past five years, contributions to agricultural research funding by producer organizations and international donors have increased, and universities play a much greater role as research providers. Declining core government funding and changes in leadership and management styles have led to the departure of large numbers of the most highly qualified and mobile researchers from South Africa’s primary agricultural research provider, ARC. The prospect of the demise o f the agricultural research system led to an initiative to coordinate the funding and provision of agricultural research in South Africa through a National Agricultural Research Forum, but the forum has yet to initiate any meaningful steps toward the harmonization of research activities.
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); and International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR)