The Program combines focused research themes and cross‐cutting integrative processes. It is designed to allow both the critical concentration of appropriate scientific skills to generate new and appropriate science, and the joint learning, planning and outcome feedback processes needed to ensure that research priorities match the needs of beneficiaries, and that interventions are evaluated and grounded in real‐world settings with partners.

Through a series of ‘flagship’ projects, the Program combines more upstream, globally relevant technology development with targeted research‐for‐development (in target countries) designed to address particular development challenges.

The 5 current research flagships are:

1. Animal health
2. Animal genetics
3. Feeds and forages
4. Value chain transformation and scaling
5. Systems analysis for sustainable innovations

We also work on:

1. Gender
2. Learning and impact assessment
3. Communication and knowledge management
4. Capacity development
5. Partnership development

These flagships provide a means for communities of CGIAR researchers and their partners to work more effectively together, with clear focus on an agreed agenda and outputs and with a common vision and plan for how those outputs will translate into development outcomes. They provide appropriate clustering of skills to deliver new science, they also benefit from an organizing methodological focus and community of practice to ensure synergies, integration and joint learning, as well as relevance to target beneficiaries.