Federal Office for Agriculture and Food

International research cooperation

International research cooperation aims to establish international research partnerships for participatory investigation of the multiple challenges for global food security and development of needs-oriented and sustainable solutions.

Supplying a steadily growing world population with safe and healthy food is one of the critical challenges of our time. Increasing shocks and crises reveal weaknesses in existing food systems around the world. In particular, the countries of the Global South are increasingly confronted with all three forms of deficient nutrition - over-, under- and malnutrition - which put a strain on the health and economic performance of these countries, making socio-ecological and economically sustainable development more difficult.

At the same time, climate change, the progressive scarcity of natural resources, the destruction of habitats and changes in dietary habits pose additional challenges to global nutrition. To sustainably improve food and nutrition security worldwide, transforming food systems, expanding competencies and structures and establishing long-term partnerships are of special importance.

The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) contributes to improving global food and nutrition security by promoting international cooperation in the fields of agricultural and nutrition research between German research institutions and respective institutions in the target regions.

In this context, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), being the project-managing agency, administers international research cooperation on global food security and nutrition on behalf of the BMEL, within the framework of the following funding instruments:

1. International research cooperation for global food security

By funding international research cooperation on global food and nutrition security, the BMEL strengthens the establishment of partnerships between research institutions for agricultural and nutritional sciences in Germany and in countries of the Global South.

2. Bilateral research cooperation

Based on bilateral country agreements, the BMEL funds research cooperation between BMEL departmental research institutes and research institutes in the respective partner countries.

The BMEL also supports a PhD programme to train young scientists and to facilitate networking activities.

Details on ongoing and completed research cooperation projects related to global food security and nutrition are available on the webpages above and in the following two databanks:

  1. The Research Information System on Agriculture and Food (FISA) of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) offers an overview of funded projects.
  2. The BLE project databank for BMEL funded projects

    • Access by using the "advanced search function" (erweiterte Suche)
    • Select "International Research Cooperation2 (Internationale Forschungskooperationen) from "Funding programmes" (Förderprogramme)