Declaration for Global Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

"We, the representatives of the national agricultural research systems, regional and subregional organizations, universities, advanced research institutions, non-governmental organizations, farmers' organizations, the private sector, and international agricultural research centers, gathered in a Global Forum on Agricultural Research at International Centers Week 1996:

Cognizant of the formidable challenges of the future, in particular the need:

• to alleviate poverty;
• to increase productivity and resource use efficiency to feed an expanding population; and
• to address environmental degradation, sustainably manage the natural resource base, and develop and implement more appropriate agricultural policies and sustainable technologies;

Aware that the world leaders are holding a summit to address the global challenge of ensuring food security;

Convinced that scientific and technological responses and sociocultural factors are essential elements in improving food and nutritional security, as well as more sustainable use of cropland, rangeland, aquatic, and forest resources;

Realizing that the national agricultural research systems are the cornerstones of the emerging global research system; and

Recognizing that current cooperative research arrangements need to be adjusted to meet challenges of unprecedented nature and magnitude:

Hereby affirm our strong commitment to contribute to the development of productive, sustainable, and equitable agriculture. We recognize the crucial role played by farmers, especially women, in agriculture and natural resources management. We agree to work in partnership with them toward their empowerment, building on their indigenous knowledge systems.

We fully recognize the immense value of collaboration and research partnership and urge that such collaboration be governed by the principles of subsidiarity, participatory decision-making, complementarity of efforts, adaptability, openness, and, above all, a deep sense of commitment to the common purpose. We agree to meet the challenges of the present and the future through an efficient, effective, and coherent global agricultural research system.

Adopted at the Global Forum on Agricultural Research, Washington,
31 October 1996