August 2002
GFAR Secretariat News
ICT
GFAR Meetings
GPPs
News from the Regional Fora
Europe
Sub-Saharan Africa
News from the Stakeholders
In this issue
The GFAR Newsletter is taking on a new form. From last year's paper-based newsletter, we are now delivering the GFAR Newsletter right to your mailbox!
And so, here is the second issue of the GFAR electronic Newsletter. Since it's first release in February 2002, GFAR has gone through a very interesting and challenging phase.
The last five months have been very fruitful and exciting. Three Global Partnership Programmes (GPPs) were launched, namely: (i) Direct Sowing, Mulch-based and Conservation Agriculture (DMC); (ii) Under-utilized Species and (iii) Coconut. Discussions are also underway for other initiatives such as on Trypanosomoses Control and on Rural Innovation. This issue provides the readers interesting updates on these GPPs as well as conclusions from the Workshop on "Facilitating Research Partnership in Commodity Chains" held in Montpellier, France, in June 2002.
This issue also provides a glance at the on-going activities in the regions, such as the launching of the South African National Agricultural Research Forum, the First FARA General Assembly, the AARINENA General Conference, the FORAGRO General Meeting, the 2nd EFARD Conference and the July CORAF Meeting, among others. The main issues and decisions taken by the GFAR Steering Committee in its May 2002 meeting are also summarized. Readers can browse through the "News from the Stakeholders" section where initiatives from Ugandan and European NGOs are presented. There is also a report on GFAR's participation in the World Farmers' Congress held in Egypt last May 2002. The summary of the e-discussion and other suggestions in enhancing the proposal on Strengthening the Participation of CSOs in Global ARD can be accessed in this electronic Newsletter and in the newly re-designed EGFAR website (launched last June).
The new EGFAR appears completely different from the old one, both in its organization and in its design. It has a search engine that allows users to rapidly look for the information. Check it out and let us know what you think.
The countdown towards the GFAR 2003 Conference in May 2003 in Dakar - Senegal, begins! A Conference Working Group, led by FARA Chair Joseph Mukiibi, was established to complement the National Senegalese Preparatory Committee, chaired by the General Director of the Institut Sénégalais de Recherche Agricole (ISRA).
These two last issues - EGFAR and the 2003 GFAR Conference - will be in depth discussed during the next GFAR Mid-Term Meetings in the Philippines, 19-23 October 2002. The agenda will also highlight a critical issue on the sustainable funding strategy for GFAR, to be discussed during the GFAR Steering Committee Meeting and endorsed by our Donor Support Group.
Finally, GFAR is gearing itself up for a challenging future. Drs. Raj Paroda and Henri Rouille D'Orfeuil will complete their terms as GFAR Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively. A new GFAR Chair and Vice-Chair will be elected during these GFAR Mid-Term Meetings. A new GFAR Executive Secretary is about to be coming on board by then.
We will of course keep our readers posted on these exciting developments. Enough said, watch out for our final-year issue this December!
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: