National Forestry Research Plan and Strategic Plan of the Agricultural Science and Technology Program (Colciencias)

Abstract

This paper aims to share the national research priorities in agriculture and forestry areas with the scientific community, based on the lines of research identified by the Agricultural Science and Technology Program for the 2010-2019 Strategic Plans by Colciencias. The Strategic Agriculture Plan has determined that the research priorities are Colombia to manage the supply chain, nutrition, rural poverty, quality and innocuousness, as well as the slow production transformation: cost of opportunity and insufficient, decontextualized research. Each of the aforementioned problems is briefly described in the document. As far as the National Plan of Forestry Research is concerned, the following three main topics were suggested: to strengthen a national genetic improvement of tree species that contribute to productivity and the increase of environmental services; to identify and characterize areas, species and potential products for reforestation programs; and to identify species, arrangements and densities that optimize the goods that may be obtained from a forest plantation and its environmental services for the top priority social and agro-ecological conditions of the country. The information regarding the two National Strategic Plans is expected to be disclosed during the first semester of 2011, so that the Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (Colciencias) can support the research projects that meet the expectations of the identified priorities.