The Joint FAO/IAEA Programme in Food and Agriculture is implemented through five sections of the Joint Centreand corresponding laboratories at the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories.

The activities of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre are organized around five?major pillars:

Support and coordination for research and development (R&D activities): Some 400 research institutions and experimental stations in Member States cooperate in more than 25 coordinated research projects (CRPs) annually. Through these CRPs, and in order to ensure effective output and useful solutions to challenges in national and global agricultural development, the Joint Centre plays a leading or central role in these R&D)activities.

Capacity building and technology transfer: The Joint Centre is currently responsible for over 200 national and regional technical cooperation projects (TCPs) with an annual expenditure of some US $16 million channelled to recipient countries for the purpose of technology transfer and capacity building.

Technical support and service: Besides carrying out applied R&D, the Joint Centre and its laboratories provide a broad range of specialized services and train scientists through courses in various disciplines that are supported by fellowships and scientific visits. They also provide guidance on the introduction of analytical quality controls and assurance into counterpart laboratories, and training in the maintenance of laboratory equipment and instruments. They are also a repository of reference and special biological materials that are made available to Member States.

Networks and partnerships: The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre ?facilitates laboratory networks and cooperation centres to strengthen technical cooperation and partnerships. These instruments allow stakeholders to increase their technical cooperation in science and innovation . With its unique laboratory networks, the Joint Centre prompts the coordinated R&D activities on nuclear science and applications, disseminates the use of nuclear techniques for food and agriculture and facilitates international cooperation in nuclear applications, including South–South and Triangular partnerships.

Policy advice and information services: In addition to encouraging the direct transfer of skills and technology, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre provides technical and policy advice to policymakers, as well as a variety of information services. These include conferences, symposia, seminars and advisory group panels. It also issues both technical and general public information documents which arise from these meetings as well as from CRPs and TCPs. The Centre also maintains contact with Members States through the publication of periodic newsletters, reviews and web sites.