April 2004
GFAR Secretariat News
GFAR Statutory Meetings
ICT
News from the Regional Fora
Sub-Saharan Africa
News from Stakeholders
Farmers' Organizations
In this issue
Agriculture is becoming more and more knowledge based and information technology driven. Therefore, there is an urgent need that development strategies in agriculture and rural sector to be more centred on information and experience sharing and knowledge management within and amongst all the stakeholder groups involved in agricultural research for sustainable development (ARSD).
Information and communication intensive practices require applying the above statement first to one's daily business, and GFAR-Secretariat is no exception. It is enhancing its Newsletter by featuring, on a regular basis in each issue, world-renowned leaders in the agriculture and development sector to contribute an article. These articles highlight NARS' points of view in a world where rapid globalisation brings both opportunities and threats. We are therefore very pleased to announce that Professor M. S. Swaminathan has graciously responded to this request and this issue is thus featuring his article about the Indian NARS. No doubt that a lot of lessons have to be learned from the Indian experience, particularly from its policy on agricultural research and development.
In an effort to share information on Farmers' Organizations (FOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) around the world, so that they can better know each other and stimulate networking and collaboration amongst themselves and with other stakeholder groups, EGFAR quarterly newsletter will now feature a Profile Article section. The article will provide information on a particular FO or NGO involved in agricultural research for development. Information provided will include the mission, activities, programmes and any other pertinent and relevant issues. To kick off this novel idea, in this issue we present an NGO stakeholder: The Foundation for Participatory and Sustainable Development of Small Farmers (Foundation PBA).
In the next coming weeks, GFAR will publish its first 2003 Annual Report which will include a section from the GFAR-Secretariat and some highlights of activities carried out by the Regional Fora in 2003. Spotlights on Global Partnerships Programmes (GPPs) and inter-regional initiatives will also be featured to complete the family picture. As clearly underlined by the GFAR Management Team, which met in February this year in Florence, there is a need for GFAR and its Secretariat to better communicate on its activities. Thus, following the 2003 Annual Report, leaflets and other information materials on specific inter-regional activities facilitated by the GFAR Initiative will be published. These include, among others, projects such as GLOBAL.RAIS, DURAS (which has just started, as you will read below) and initiatives related to rural knowledge systems. GFAR decided to address these needs by an evolving policy for ICM, and by supporting champions for these changes throughout the Global Forum. Therefore any comments and suggestions are welcome for our shared future.
GFAR Secretariat
c/o FAO, SDR, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla - 00100 Rome, Italy
Tel. +39.06.5705.3413 Fax +39.06.5705.3898
E-mail: