Analysis n° 21 – June 2010 Strategic foresight and the evaluation of public policy on agriculture - An International Panorama

Work on strategic foresight analysis and the evaluation of public policy on agriculture shows very wide disparities among countries with regard to scope, methods, and the resources deployed. Such is the general conclusion reached in the survey of 21 countries conducted by the Centre for Studies and Strategic Foresight at the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. Although forward-looking approaches are being developed in some countries of the North, evaluation continues to predominate. The work done, whether on strategic foresight or on evaluation, is often restricted to the national context, with international partnerships resulting from initiatives taken primarily by universities and research centres. And lastly, economics-based approaches play a significant part in both foresight and evaluation, while work on the social and environmental aspects of agriculture originates mainly in the countries of the European Union.