Concerns about food security and enhancing the role agricultural productivity and natural resources management should be playing in raising food production, poverty reduction and the better provision of environmental services, raise the question of how, by whom and where research efforts should be prioritized. This timely publication brings together recent experience and insights gained by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASERECA) in using more systematic approaches in their development of evidence-based research strategies. The techniques employed range from extensive consultation with research and development partners to evidence-based modelling, but they found that the latter was inevitably restricted by a shortage of high quality data sets. The authors clearly favour more systematic and evidence-based approaches over the somewhat ad hoc or even populist approaches used by some research teams in electing to follow their own interests or prejudices.

The book is a unique and useful compendium and reference text, but at times the text can make for heavy reading. However, many foundations and donor agencies are increasingly favouring proposals that use evidence-based approaches with well-defined outputs and accountabilities when prioritizing their funding research. As part of a wide-ranging reform, the CGIAR is currently developing an overarching Strategy and Results Framework using evidence-based techniques. This strategy will frame a series of mega-programmes that will be supported by a new, and hopefully larger, international agricultural research fund. Will this approach convince governments and the donor agencies to reverse the recent decline in funding for research? Only time will tell!