The power of partnership: Collaborative research that matters

Some 20 years ago, the ICRAF Southeast Asia program was hosted
within the Bogor campus of FORDA. Now the Southeast Asia
program is the largest of ICRAF’s regional programs, collaborating
with FORDA and other international and national partners. For
example, we are supporting FORDA’s development of a national
agroforestry research strategy, and are training national o cials in
the Ministry of Forestry as well as in other government agencies.
We have completed joint research activities, such as in Yogyakarta
on smallholders’ teak plantations and in Sulawesi on livelihoods,
governance and environment issues, and are about to embark on
activities elsewhere in Indonesia. We have also partnered with
BAPLAN, RLPS and the social forestry unit. ere has been much
shared learning between the organizations.
ICRAF has undertaken several important collaborative roles with
FORDA, ranging through joint and participatory research, coauthored
publications and presentations at key international forums,
capacity building (including seconded sta from FORDA to ICRAF),
and policy dialogues and formulations. Our organizations have also
bene¬ted from joint participation at each other’s strategy development
meetings. Over the past few years, joint discussions have taken place
on ways forward, particularly regarding the activities and synergies
regarding the CGIAR research programs (especially on forests, trees
and agroforestry).