and 1995. Even though 1995 had 0.33% intensity, it was low compared with averages for Africa, 0.84% and for the developing world 0.62% (ASTI, 2003c).

In 2002, Tunisia invested US$1.04 for every US$100 of agricultural output. This was an increase over the 1996 intensity ratio of 0.78% and was slightly higher than the 0.95% in 2002 for Morocco (ASTI, 2005). Tunisia's and Morocco's 2002 intensity ratios were higher than the 2000 ratios for the CWANA region, 0.66%, and the developing world as a whole, 0.53%. The low world investment in agricultural research requires greater investment in CWANA countries.

2.3.5 Returns to investments

Investments in agricultural research have contributed greatly to the well-being of farmers, processors and consumers through new knowledge and technology. However, there remain more than 800 million undernourished people, mostly in developing countries, including CWANA, who need significant increases in local production to improve their food security (CGIAR, 2005). For CWANA countries and other developing countries increases in agricultural production

and technology that improve disease resistance and drought tolerance and sustain natural resources are needed to lessen the widening food security gap.

The benefits of investing in agricultural research greatly outweigh the costs. To sustain research that will alleviate poverty and reduce food insecurity, governments must invest more in agricultural research. The effect of research achievements goes far beyond the outputs by research organizations. It involves all players between R&D, including research organizations, communities, extension systems, development agencies and policy makers.

Previous studies provided overwhelming evidence that investment in agricultural research has delivered real benefits to poor farmers and consumers through new crop, livestock, fish, forest and farming technology. These improve both productivity and farmer income and help protect the environment, thereby contributing to poverty reduction (Evenson and Gollin, 2003).

The Science Council of the CGIAR commissioned an independent study to compare the benefits from its research against the cost of operating the whole CGIAR system up to 2001. The most conservative assessment yielded a ben

Country

Year of data

Research intensity (%)

Jordan

2003

2.83

Mauritania

2001

0.92

Morocco

2002

0.95

Sudan

2000

0.17

Syria

2003

0.53

Tunisia

2002

1.04

CWANA region

2000

0.66

Developing world

2000

0.53

Developed world

2000

2.36

Global

2000

0.80