IFAPA was created as an expression of the will to form an efficient instrument for producing reasonable responses to the andalusian agrifood sector’s demands, based on the new technologies and scientific advances. This is seen as an unavoidable way of contributing to the modernization and economic development of this region.
Research: IFAPA has a project portfolio in force that is funded by the Institute itself, State Organizations (the National R+D Plan, INIA, etc.) or international sources (EU Programmes and others). In addition, parts of the R+D activities are financed by the private sector through research and/or development agreements.
Technology transfer: Most of the activities of IFAPA are motivated by a philosophy of applicability and innovation using those mechanisms best suited in each case, as the publication and dissemination of results through the specialized scientific media, the provision of information concerning the progress of R+D projects and, in some cases, marketing contracts or exploitation agreements for patented products, mainly crop varieties or advanced plant genetic material. The most important fact concerning the activities of technology transfer by IFAPA is by, all means, its Experimental Network (Andalusian Network of Agrarian Experiments: “Red Andaluza de Experimentación Agraria”) best known by most of the leading actors in the agrarian sector as the “RAEA” network (the cotton RAEA being part of it).
Manuel Arriaza is researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IFAPA) since 2000. He finished his MSc in 1997 and PhD in 2000 on policy analysis at the University of Reading (U.K.). During this period he worked at the same university as lecturer assistant on Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative Methods and Statistics. He has worked as well as part-time lecturer at the University of Cordoba on Accountancy and Investment Appraisal in 2001 and 2002. His research activities have focused on policy analysis via multicriterio techniques, and environmental valuation (travel cost methods, contingent valuation and landscape assessment).