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Abstract
Agriculture is faced by permanent evolution and it is expected that this trend will
continue in the next decennium. The question is what challenges lie ahead and which
types of agricultural research can support the sector in order to retain its competitive
power by the year 2020. To address this issue, a multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary
process was initiated in Flanders. The process outcomes learn that two types of action are
needed. Firstly, there is need for a focused knowledge production in 5 thematic fields.
Central issues hereby are an efficient agriculture, the broadening of the value creation
model of agriculture and the increasing sustainability of production. Secondly, efforts
should be made to improve the organisation of research with emphasis on participation,
anticipation, meta-coordination and validation of research outcomes.