Prague, 7 April 2026
The Minister of Agriculture, Ing. Martin Šebestyán, MBA, accompanied by Director General Ing. Petr Jílek, paid an official visit to the Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC) in Prague. The more than two-hour working visit focused on the Center’s principal research activities, its strategic direction, and the key challenges that will shape its future development in the years ahead.
The visit commenced with a meeting with the CARC senior management, during which representatives of the Center presented its main research priorities, as well as its cooperation with the applied sector. CARC conducts research across a broad spectrum of areas, including plant production, plant protection, agricultural technologies, and food science. Particular emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthening international engagement, and, above all, the effective transfer of knowledge and innovation into agricultural practice. The discussion also addressed participation in European programmes and the development of long-term international partnerships.
The programme further included presentations by individual research teams in the form of thematic stations located in the foyer of the main building. These provided an opportunity for scientists to showcase specific projects, key results, and their practical applications. During the visit, the Minister engaged in informal discussions with researchers and expressed strong interest in their work and its broader impact.
A substantial part of the meeting was devoted to an open discussion on the current challenges facing the institution. Among the most pressing issues are the need to modernize research infrastructure and secure adequate investment, the long-term decline in the availability of land for strategic field experiments—essential for work with genetic resources and long-term trials—and the decreasing proportion of institutional funding. This trend increases reliance on project-based funding, places a disproportionate administrative burden on researchers, and complicates the stable and efficient development of research activities. The issue of generational renewal was also highlighted, particularly the aging of the scientific workforce and the limited influx of early-career researchers into the field.
Representatives of the Center therefore emphasized the necessity of systematic and sustained support for research. This includes not only investment in modern infrastructure, but also ensuring access to land for experimental activities, stabilizing funding mechanisms, and providing targeted support for early-career researchers, for example through closer collaboration with universities and the further development of doctoral training programmes.
The Minister of Agriculture and the Director General commended the high professional standard of CARC’s research activities and underscored its strategic importance for Czech agriculture and the food sector. They emphasized that the capacity to respond effectively to contemporary challenges—including climate change, food security, and sector competitiveness—is fundamentally dependent on a strong, well-resourced, and stable research base.
The visit concluded with an expression of appreciation to the Center’s staff and a joint photograph with CARC employees.
