This paper by the Global Authors’ Team (GAT) has been commissioned by the Global Forum on International Agricultural Research (GFAR) as an input into the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) being held in, Montpellier, France between March 28th and 31st 2010. It builds on the consultations conducted over nearly a year as part of the GCARD process, in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, the North Africa and West Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and the Caucuses, Western Europe, with additional contributions from China and other Emerging Economies. Some 2000 stakeholders of agricultural research from different sectors participated in these consultations. The paper also draws on the team’s analysis of the state of the world agricultural research undertaken by or for the benefit of developing countries and the rapidly changing international context in which the research is conducted. The Team reviewed nearly 300 recent and historical documents, drew on their own collective experience of nearly 35 years each in different parts of the world as well as benefiting from perspectives and comments on the earlier draft from the authors of Regional Papers, leaders of international, regional and national research systems, colleagues in IFAD, FAO, GFAR, the CGIAR, the World Bank, IDS and many others. The team will reflect the discussions at GCARD and the paper will be finalized by the end of April 2010.The views expressed in the paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the GFAR Steering Committee, its constituents or the donors who have financed GFAR and the GCARD process Comments are welcome from all readers.

The GCARD Global Author Team: Uma Lele, Jules Pretty, Eugene Terry and Eduardo Trigo, with assistance from Maggie Klousia.