This impact assessment report analyses the extent to which ACIAR-funded research into rodent control has been taken up in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The report identifies factors that favour and constrain adoption, and lays out a plan for future action.

ACIAR has a long history of working with countries in Africa. Given the increasing attention to food security in Africa, leading to the establishment of ACIAR’s Australian International Food Security Centre, it is timely to review ACIAR’s experiences in Africa to date. Reviewing past projects can help guide future investment decisions by highlighting the types of projects that deliver the best returns and by identifying some of the barriers faced in different countries.

This report provides an overview of the methodological issues involved in incorporating environmental and natural resource values within ACIAR’s economic impact assessments. Recent developments in analytical techniques have provided a sound basis for combining two parallel streams of research: tradition economic analysis of the environment, and the ‘ecosystem service’ approach to evaluation. These approaches are complementary, and they bring an added dimension to measuring the benefits attributed to ACIAR-funded research.

ACIAR has funded a range of oil palm projects in PNG. This report examines the pathways through which ACIAR’s portfolio of oil palm projects, in particular the socioeconomic and biocontrol clusters – have delivered benefits to the community.

ACIAR commissioned the development of a monitoring and capacity-development tool, called the Capacity Snapshot. It is designed to capture data on the ways in which scientists engage in capacity development, and to provide a clear picture of the capacities developed by research scientists in specific ACIAR projects.

There is much evidence to support the assertion that improving agricultural productivity can reduce extreme poverty among rural populations in the developing world. This report examines some recent advances in methods for assessing the impact of agricultural research on the poor, and suggests a method specifically suitable for measuring the poverty-reducing impact of ACIAR research.

  While India’s expansion of the rice–wheat cropping system led to the production of more food, it has also led to degradation of the natural environment, and concerns over the sustainability of the practice. This report looks at the returns on investment of ACIAR projects that sought to develop alternative practices for growing rice and wheat sustainably, and designing a machine that allows direct seeding of wheat into rice stubble.

An assessment of the impact of an ACIAR–World Vision extension project on improving rice crop yields in southern Laos. The assessment shows there have been significant gains in food security for the adopting farmers, with widespread acceptance of the new rice varieties and improvement of wet-season rice yields.

This study assesses the impact of IRRI’s work on varietal improvement on rice production in the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.

This study provides an overall assessment of ACIAR’s forestry program in PNG and takes a more in-depth look at projects relating to galip nuts.

This study adds to the body of literature on the development of methodological frameworks and tools that could be used to assess the benefits of policy-oriented research. It also investigates the extent to which policy outputs were achieved in 10 of ACIAR’s Indonesian policy projects.

  This report describes the first economic impact study of ACIAR’s plantation forestry research in Indonesia and Australia.

An assessment of the impact of an ACIAR–World Vision extension project that encouraged farmers in the hill areas of northern Thailand to grow high-value, low-chill temperate fruits. The impact was assessed on the basis of the economic returns that accrued to farmers adopting the extension advice.

This review seeks to capture the elements that contribute to a successful ACIAR project.

This study examines, in very broad terms, evidence of the returns on investment flowing from research undertaken by the various centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research across ACIAR’s mandated regions (North Asia, Papua New Guinea and Pacific island countries, South Asia, South-East Asia and southern Africa).

  An impact assessment on the effects of introduction of the barramundi fishery management plan on fishing practices and fishing communities.

As part of the continuing approach of ACIAR to assess the impact of its past R&D investments, this study presents a brief overview of ACIAR-funded forage research in Indonesia.

An assessment of the impact of an ACIAR–World Vision extension project training farmers in northern Thailand on fish farming with low-cost feed. The impact was assessed on the basis of the economic returns that accrue to farmers adopting the extension advice.

  A report on a reassessment of two ACIAR-funded economic research projects dealing with the reform of domestic grain markets in China.

ACIAR has a long history of assessing the impact of its research and development investments, which provides valuable lessons for improving the selection, design and delivery of projects, as well as demonstrating the value of ACIAR as part of Australia’s international development assistance program. This report is an update of a review of of the returns on ACIAR's bilateral R&D investments (http://aciar.gov.au/publication/IAS035), published in 2005.

This study looks at projects that focused on developing effective methods for treating stored grains for control of pests in several countries in South-East Asia, including the Philippines. There has been significant adoption of the outcomes, primarily by larger storage and handling sectors of the rice and other grain industries. The study found that the return on this significant investment by all parties was substantial, with a net present value of research gains to the Philippines of PHP65,544m or A$1,696m. This provides a benefit:cost ratio of approximately 174:1 and an internal rate of return of 46.6%.

This study examines research undertaken in India, where communities are suffering economically and socially from the salt pollution from tanneries. The estimated net benefits to Indian tanneries is A$47.3 million in present-value terms (using a 5% discount rate), of which $22.4 million can be attributed to ACIAR on a cost-share basis. They represent an impressive 32.4% internal rate of return.

This report describes the development of the ACIAR Database for Impact Assessments (ADIA) that will be the repository of information from impact assessments and PIAS forms. The database will record all projects funded by ACIAR, and build up the information for each project as adoption studies and impact assessments are undertaken.

Grain drying is a major issue in all grain-producing countries and presents particular problems in humid, tropical climates. ACIAR and PCARRD, in association with other Philippine research organisations, have supported a major effort in this area. The review indicated that the technologies developed in these projects had not been adopted and that little use was being made of them in the Philippines, however the same technologies had been adopted in other collaborating countries in the Asian region and in Australia. Therefore it was decided that the assessment resources should be used to look in detail at the reasons for this lack of adoption and impact. This report presents the results of this assessment study.