Federal Council supports agricultural research for a food-secure future
Bern, 05.06.2026 — At its meeting on 5 June 2026, the Federal Council decided to provide CHF 25 million in funding to the global research partnership CGIAR for the 2026–27 period. CGIAR conducts agricultural research to strengthen global food security and receives funding in the context of Switzerland's international cooperation work, thereby reinforcing the country's position as a centre for research.
The UN estimates that more than 670 million people suffered from hunger in 2024, and according to its report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, some 2.6 billion people lack the resources to secure a healthy diet.
Research helping to end hunger and malnutrition
CGIAR works to improve food security by conducting basic and applied research focusing specifically on the needs of smallholder farms in developing countries, including, for example, developing resource-saving cultivation methods and producing climate-resilient seeds. Investing in this research benefits millions of people in low-income countries.
CGIAR is a strategic consortium of 15 research centres, 13 of which are located in developing countries. It boasts an extensive network of over 3,000 partners and is active in over 80 countries. With its focus on research, CGIAR is one of the priority multilateral organisations for Switzerland's international cooperation work. A specific goal of Switzerland's International Cooperation Strategy 2025–28 is to strengthen sustainable food systems.
Since its inception more than 50 years ago, CGIAR has made a major contribution to increasing agricultural yields and improving nutrition in developing countries. It also maintains the world's largest network of genebanks, which are crucial to developing new crop varieties and preserving genetic diversity at global level.
Collaboration with Swiss research bodies
As a member of the CGIAR System Council, Switzerland plays an active role in driving strategy and implementing institutional reforms. In collaborating with various Swiss research bodies, including the Swiss federal institutes of technology, CGIAR also helps to promote Switzerland as a centre of research. Switzerland's financial contribution to CGIAR is covered by the commitment appropriation of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). In the 2022–24 period, Switzerland contributed CHF 51.3 million to CGIAR. In reducing the contribution for the 2026–27 period, the SDC is implementing the cost-saving measures adopted by Parliament.