ASTI received an honorable mention in a report to the G20 submitted on June 12 by more than ten foremost international organizations. The authors—including the OECD, FAO, the World Food Programme, and the World Bank—recognize ASTI's key role in measuring and tracking investments in agricultural R&D in low- and middle-income countries. One of their recommendations urges the G20 governments to find the necessary resources to further strengthen the ASTI initiative, which is now being transformed into a more institutionally anchored and decentralized system of data collection and analysis.

The Interagency Report responds to a G20 request for advice on practical  actions to raise agricultural productivity, especially on small family farms. It underwrites the role that agricultural innovation must play to ensure a healthy and adequate diet for all—while conserving natural resources. This will almost certainly require more effective innovation systems—which is why it is vital to more closely monitor agricultural R&D investment trends.

ASTI is one of the few sources of primary data and analyses on trends in agricultural research capacity, according to the report. The value of its original and ongoing survey work in developing countries is enhanced by comparisons with relevant data for developed countries.