In this opinion piece we address how to ensure that agricultural research for development is fit for purpose for the Twentyfirst Century. We focus on two themes: (i) the urgent need to engage social (together with natural) scientists in transdisciplinary research processes; (ii) the importance of the co-creation of knowledge via more democratic partnerships that genuinely address power asymmetries, as well as different stakeholders' roles (and responsibilities). We highlight discrepancies in the mix of social and natural science agricultural research, and also what may come across as a tepid commitment to partnerships despite the best intentions of many researchers.