The arrival of the CGIAR Consortium Office to Montpellier has strengthened the growing agricultural research cluster of the area. This was the message highlighted during recent formalities welcoming the Consortium Office to the South of France.
Both Agropolis International where the offices are situated and the wider region of Languedoc-Roussillon sent messages of hope for future collaboration and for strengthened ties between institutions of the region. The CGIAR Consortium joins an already established cluster of international agricultural research institutes in the area.
“[the region] employs some 3,000 researchers and technical staff in institutes such as CIRAD (International Cooperation Centre on Agricultural Research for Development), IRD (Research Institute on Development), IAM (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute), INRA (National Institute for Agricultural Research), and the Sup Agro university faculty specialised in agricultural specialties.”
(Quote from “South of France Welcomes Global Agricultural Research Organisation”)
Lloyd Le Page (CEO) and Anne-Marie Izac (Chief Scientific Officer) were interviewed for an article in the “Agropolis International Newsletter” which announced the arrival of the CGIAR Consortium Office. They explained the rationale for moving to Montpellier, thanked the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for their support of the Consortium’s initiative to acquire international organisation status, and reiterated hopes for tighter links between regional organisations with a shared mandate.
Le Page said, “…we are very pleased to be situated at the core of the regional scientific community”.