<p>The first Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) in 2010 catalyzed a plan to transform agricultural research and development (R&amp;D) around the world. The resulting GCARD Roadmap recommends a regularized process of monitoring institutional, human, and financial resources on behalf of all stakeholders. The Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators initiative (ASTI), is the only international initiative dedicated to fulfilling this need. ASTI has prepared this global assessment of agricultural R&amp;D spending as an input into GCARD 2012.</p>