Agricultural Research Council
The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) strategic goals are to generate knowledge and technologies across a wide range of agricultural production systems. These include enhancing efficiencies in both crop- and livestock-based agriculture as well as conservation and utilization of natural resources. ARC institutes generate and disseminate knowledge, as well as technologies for decision-making and transformation of the agricultural sector across the whole value chain from production to outputs such as food and other products. The ARC operates in four divisions, namely: Agricultural Economics and Capacity Development, Animal Sciences, Crop Sciences, and Research and Innovation Systems, with 11 campuses situated across South Africa. The vision of the ARC is: “Excellence in Agricultural Research and Development”.
ARC contributes to R4A as the Project Manager and is a member of the R4A Working Group. ARC leads the Work Package (WP2A) concerned with user engagement targeting small-scale farmers. They also contribute to most other work packages namely – Models and Data (WP3A), Mobile Apps (WP3C), Outcomes and Impacts (WP4) as well as the Sustainable Business Entity (WP5). ARC provides the expertise and linkage between the environment and agricultural sectors via the network of agricultural extension and NGOs by generating and communicating all-encompassing knowledge across all types of agriculture to producers and growers.