April 2003
GFAR Secretariat News
Dakar 2003
ICT
Facilitation Units
News from the Regional Fora
Europe
Asia-Pacific
News from Stakeholders
CSOs
IARCs
In this issue
This month is a particularly exciting one for GFAR as the GFAR family will meet in Dakar on 22-24 May for its 2nd Triennial Conference.
During this conference, the problematic of sustainable development as it relates to agriculture will be the focal point of discussions. It will also be an opportunity to debate on various global partnership programmes (GPPs) being developed in the area of rural knowledge and innovation; small and medium-sized agro-enterprises; agriculture-livestock integration; organisational partnerships in agricultural research; and innovative policy directions and approaches for sustainable agricultural development.
This issue provides you some ideas on some efforts being carried out by the Secretariat in facilitating the GPPs-to-be mentioned above. Readers will also be able to get some updates on the activities being carried out by NGO-led programme PROLINNOVA (Promoting Local Innovation); Facilitation Units on Under-utilized Species as well as on Direct-Sowing, Mulch-based and Conservation Agriculture (DMC). And who says fisheries is not being tackled in GFAR? This issue also has an article on this initiative called SIFAR (Support unit for International Fisheries and Aquatic Research) which aims at addressing responsive research for responsible fisheries.
This issue also provides a glance of the on going activities in the regions. In Europe, developments related to the building of European networks to foster communication and the exchange of knowledge by the efforts of EIARD-InfoSys+ are presented. Readers can also get some information about the activities of the Netherlands’ International Agricultural Centre (IAC). In Asia-Pacific, people are not only talking about SARS but also about how to develop the Asia-Pacific Agricultural Research Information System (APARIS) and how to set-up the Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology (APCoAB) to harness the region’s comparative advantages and ensure judicious use of limited resources to promote application of biotechnology for the sustainable agricultural development in the Asia-Pacific region. The West Asia and North Africa region is also gearing up in developing their agri information system.
The AARINENA-ICT Expert Consultation Meeting held on 25-27 February in Cairo put forward interesting recommendations. In Africa, FARA convened a stakeholder consultation workshop on the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme (SSA CP) was held on 10-13 March 2003 in Accra. The first draft of the proposal will be presented at the FARA General Assembly in Dakar in May. In Southern Caucasus, NGOs and farmers groups gathered together in Tbilisi, Georgia to discuss possibilities of establishing their own network to influence ARD priorities in the region. A brief report on this activity can be accessed in this issue. An article on the Pre-GFAR 2003 CSO Meeting is also featured, including link to the draft Agenda.
So that’s about it… We will, of course, keep our readers posted on these exciting developments. Do not forget to visit EGFAR for further updates on GFAR 2003!
GFAR Secretariat
c/o FAO, SDR, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla - 00100 Rome, Italy
Tel. +39.06.5705.3413 Fax +39.06.5705.3898
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