September 2005
News from the other Stakeholders
Civil Society Organizations
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A Sub-Saharan Africa NGO Consortium
About 35 NGO representatives from various NGOs in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as other regions met, on 6-7 June 2005, during the General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) held in Entebbe Uganda 6-12 June 2005. The meeting was convened by the GFAR Secretariat in collaboration with FARA. This meeting was the final stage of a consultation process carried out by the Secretariat which started during the GFAR Statutory meetings in Mexico in October 2004. The main objective of the Entebbe meeting was to "put wheels on" the idea of Sub-Saharan Africa NGO Consortium which was born during the consultation process.
The meeting was organized by themes. The first day focused on sharing experiences and discussing background information on the concept of the consortium. The second day was devoted to discussions on modus operandi and structure of the consortium.
By the end of the meeting, the group successfully developed mission and vision statements; developed a procedures manual to guide the operations of the consortium and how it relates with stakeholders involved in ARD; and elected an eight-member Steering Committee headed by a Chair and Vice-Chair. The full report of the meeting is available here.
The NGOs were asked to present the outcomes of their meeting at the FARA plenary session, which was held on 9 June. The elected vice-Chair of the consortium, Ms. Mbog, made the presentation on behalf of the NGOs. In her presentation, she reported that the NGOs in the region are strongly committed to working with FARA and the three Sub-regional Forums (ASARECA, CORAF, and SADC/FARN). She emphasized that the aim of the new consortium is to ensure increased NGO involvement in ARD participation with other ARD stakeholders in decision making on agricultural research and development priorities, programs and projects at national, sub-regional and regional levels. She also highlighted a number of areas that the consortium identified as priorities for immediate collaboration with FARA, including the Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Program. To download her presentation right-click here and save the file.
The NGOs by maping out such a cohesive regional approach to their involvement in the regional ARD agenda (i.e. establishing a regional consortium that coordinates NGOs participation in regional/sub-regional ARD activities) have won the support of FARA. The consortium is scheduled to meet with the other stakeholders of FARA, particularly the NARS, farmers' organizations, the private sector as well as representatives from the three Sub-Regional Forums and some CG Centers in the region in October 2005 in Accra Ghana under the auspices of FARA. This FARA multi-stakeholder workshop is to promote collaborative partnerships and strengthen and foster linkages amongst FARA stakeholders.
Sociedad Rural Argentina
Introduction
Back in 1866 Argentina was at war with Paraguay and the local economy, which was based on framing activities, seemed to fall and stagnate. Drought, fires in the fields and continuous attacks by the indians discouraged the population and drove them away from the fertile plains.
In spite of the political confusion and tension, the progressive spirit of some pioneers did not fail. Individual efforts were not sufficient. The will of many had to be united to defend their interests and those of the whole country which urgently needed its basic economy to improve.
On July 10, 1866, the enthusiasm of a group of real farmers, allowed the founding - after much going and coming - of the Sociedad Rural Argentina (SRA) with the purpose of "...promoting improvements, progress and order with more effective grazing methods than those currently used... and combining these with tilling practices..., stimulating the welfare and morality of farmers... studying livestock species... seeds and plants best adapted to the country ...and improving our tilling tools... establishing relations with the most important foreign markets and learning about their needs... creating a library for farmers... publishing a farming journal... stimulating scientists to investigate and publish their findings... organising trade shows for livestock, poultry and farm products..." (quote from the founding documents of our organisation).
Since then to date, the Sociedad Rural Argentina has been faithful to its governing philosophy which states that freedom is a qualified tool to foster private initiatives that brings progress for everyone, benefiting the farming community and serving the country as whole.
Preferring proposals to protest, it continually promotes the analysis and study of general and specific problems that affect the sector. It supports its resourceful technical structure and belief in involving the farmers with a framework of pluralistic and federal representation of its members and associated institutions, to pursue its political and representative actions with an unfailing and updated impetus.
The Sociedad Rural Argentina, in addition to being present at national and international fora as a political and representative institution, represents farmers from all areas of the country. It is also a service institution which is always at the forefront with technology and accompanies the latest changes with modern structures for its Herd Books, Trade Show, Press and Publications, its Library, Training and Research Institutes, specialised Laboratory, Consulting Services, and its entire internal administration.
Institutional Profile
The Sociedad Rural Argentina is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to foster and promote the development of farming activities in the country.
Beyond its base of over 7,000 members that includes large, medium-size and small farmers from all over the country, the Sociedad Rural Argentina represents all producers through an active and influential presence in all national, provincial and municipal decision-making levels. It also has a recognised and valued international presence.
Its continuous proposal to excel, its contributions with specific surveys to provide real solutions to sectorial problems, its intensive activity in technical services, its intermediate and high level training courses for managers, and its active involvement in promoting fairs and presenting the work of the farmers, are some aspects that - with their high level of excellence - have given national and international prestige to the Sociedad Rural Argentina as the most important organization of farm leaders in Argentina. The Sociedad Rural Argentina is managed by a Board of Directors that is elected at the Members' General Meeting.
Regional delegates
The Sociedad Rural Argentina's activities are based on the active participation of the Directors of the 14 districts in which the country is divided -and that are members of the Board of Directors-, of the twelve Regional Offices, and the over 220 Local Delegates who represent almost the entire country.
This nation-wide representation allows the SRA to learn about the farmers' concerns and their local problems, and at the same time convey messages that express the opinion of the whole farming community and of the nation to those who live in the Provinces.
Federal and Institutional Council
The Provinces have an important network of Farmers' Associations that participate in the Federal Council and as such are members of the Sociedad Rural Argentina. The Council holds monthly meetings and is a good opportunity for the leaders of the farming sector to express their position. It also serves to strengthen - at a national and international level - the collective actions that benefit the farming community. The counselling bodies of the SRA provide support and collect valuable information from the various regions. The Institutional Council has two Full Members that sit on the Board of Directors. It provides counselling and information about the Sociedad Rural Argentina. The Council meets periodically, and its members are representatives of the most important Breeders' Associations in the country, production sectors, and the farming and agribusiness trade.
Young Farmers Council
This is a group of young farmers that analyses and discusses the problems that affect the sector. The members hold periodic meetings with expert scholars, and representatives of the production and social sectors of the country to learn about farming issues. The Young Farmers Council trains and educates future leaders.
Committee for Political and Economic Actions
This Committee discusses, analyses and formulates proposals to solve global or specific problems that affect the farming community. Its actions and studies are based on the work of over twenty specific Internal Committees whose members are farmers that are specialists in different fields. They act on the basis of their own initiative, or as a result of a request from the Committee for Political Actions.
The system expands the base to discuss the problems and generates the largest possible number of opinions. The proposals are always agreed by consensus and as such represent the ideas of the majority members of the SRA, as an organisation. This Committee analyses the direct and indirect impact of legal, economic, tax and administrative rules that may affect the sector, the incidence of global or specific market situations, and the effects of technological improvements.
The analysis and discussion of the proposals are always based on the opinion of the SRA's technical departments or the expert opinions which are requested when necessary. Only then does the Committee present the case to the Executive Board or the Board of Directors, as applicable. As the Sociedad Rural Argentina only expresses its position after it has discussed the issue with the other Committees involved, its claims are well founded, its analyses are considered serious, and its opinion - as an institution that represents the farming sector = are respected.
Institute for Economic Studies
The Institute for Economic Studies provides technical support and counselling to the Board of Directors and to other decision-making bodies. It is a multidisciplinary team that periodically assesses the Government's actions, and measures their impact on the farming sector. The Institute monitors the behaviour of the markets for grains, meat, fruits, vegetables, forestry, and industrial crops. It also keeps an updated data bank with information on prices and costs, and develops reliable indicators to continuously assess the farming sector's situation in absolute and comparative terms, at a national, regional and global level. Its technicians participate in official and private meetings, courses, seminars and conferences, actively representing the Sociedad Rural Argentina at all information and decision-making levels, both in the country and abroad.
The Institute also responds to the questions of SRA members who request information on agrotechnical, economic, tax, retirement or general legal issues.
Herd Books
The purpose of the Herd Books is to preserve the integrity of breeds of domestic animals in the country. The Sociedad Rural Argentina began keeping these Books because there was a need to guarantee the pureness of the breeds that were imported at the turn of the century when we were just beginning with livestock breeding.
The first entry in a Herd Book goes back to 1888. It was a careful annotation by Mr. Leonardo Pereyra for his breeding operation "San Juan". The Book was later transferred to the SRA. Since then, and with the Shorton breed being the first group to be entered, the Sociedad Rural Argentina has registered over 150 Argentine bovine, equine, ovine, porcine, caprine, vulpine and camelidae breeds. The Herd Books have gained importance as they facilitate genetic improvement based on production traits.
These powerful selection tools known as "Mixed Models" or BLUP are scoring techniques which allow a faster and more precise selection as they combine genealogical history and individual production traits. Beef cattle breeds and dairy herds have increased their individual productivity, partly as a result of these techniques. The new genetic techniques being developed - particularly those in the field of biotechnology - require the identification of the best animals to isolate the trait-carrying genes, and to guarantee the origin of the genetic engineering products. The Herd Books provide the basis and guarantee that these improvements require.
The Herd Books are a service that the SRA provides to all those interested in registering pedigree animals. The Books are handled by one Committee per breed which includes representatives of each Breeders' Association and of the Sociedad Rural Argentina. The functioning of the system is based on internationally recognised routine criteria and has established reciprocity with the Herd Books of most countries. Today's technology has enabled the SRA to load all its Herd Books on a computer-based information system. Since 1960, computers have been used to manage the SRA's Herd Books which have active files with over 2,000,000 pedigree entries for all the listed species and breeds. With the large database, the files can instantaneously generate the genealogy of planned pedigrees that go back 5 generations.
Since the Herd Books were opened over a century ago, now they have a total of 6 million entries.
The Traditional Palermo Trade Show
The Palermo Trade Shows is the major annual trade show of Argentina, which is also very important for a large region of the Americas. It is held at the site the SRA has in Palermo, in the centre of the city of Buenos Aires, and it is the oldest agriculture, livestock and industrial trade show which also has a significant international presence.
In its almost 12 hectare site, leading national and foreign companies in the industrial, trade, banking and services sectors share a presence with those that provide a full spectrum of inputs for the farming sector. It is the leading event and a really colourful celebration which has style and has become a means of mass communication with the 1,500,000 people who, on average, visit the fair.
Year after year, over 2,000 breeders of cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and goats present state-of-the-art genetics of one of the most prestigious livestock grazing systems of the world. The Palermo Trade Show is an annual highlight in Argentina, and Buenos Aires vibrates with the energy and enthusiasm of the major celebration of the farmers.
Inmunogenetics Laboratory
Since 1973 seeking to be continuously at the forefront of scientific and technical achievements with the tools available to the breeders, the SRA created the Inmunogenetics Laboratory. The Laboratory can confirm the genealogy of cattle and horses with the same techniques about that the SRA's Herd Books use: blood typing and protein identification in animals. It is an efficient method to confirm the genealogy of animals and verify the certainty of blood lines when the breeders wish to select breeding animals with a specific genetic trait.
Since 1990, it is the only laboratory that the Argentina Jockey Club has approved for blood typing thoroughbred race horses and Arab horses.
The Laboratory is internationally recognised for the quantity and quality of the serologic reagents it produces and the techniques it uses. It provides testing services and counselling to other organizations in Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Brazil.
Press Office
The Press Office coordinates the SRA's relationship with the media - printed press, and radio and TV broadcasting stations - and concentrates all the public information generated by the Sociedad Rural Argentina, to convey a consistent position about the issues that defend the sector's interests. It keeps a large updated database with farming-related information that is a helpful tool for the different areas of the SRA.
Education
Education is one of the basic cornerstones of progress and evolution in a society. Far beyond collecting information and incorporating knowledge, training centres - with the systems and goals that define their specific purposes - provide groups of people with the skills to analyse, based on a concept of solidarity, a spirit of progress and a vocation to serve.
The Sociedad Rural Argentina is aware of its responsibility in this field and makes significant contributions, because it strongly believes in the future.
The ISEA (Institute of Studies, Training and Farming Extension) offers young people the possibility of having adequate and modern learning and training systems which are adapted to today's needs, and which foster the continuous evolution and transformation of the farming sector. The Institute offers short graduate courses with a high academic level: Production and Management Expert Technician (2 years) and Farm Manager (1 year).
Extending its reach, the SRA offers a significant and generous support to the CEIDA (Centre of Studies and Research in Rural Leadership) which provides training to future farm leaders.
Public Farming Library
The Library is almost as old as the SRA because its founding principles stated the need to create "a library for farmers which should have the best national and foreign publications..."
The Library today has over 50.000 books, brochures and journals, some of which go back to the last century and are a part of the Reserved Collection. It also has a modern database, which can be queried for information on the field data.
CONTACT
Dra. M. Cristina Manzano
Head of Institutional Relations
Women Producers Committee Coordinator
Sociedad Rural Argentina
E-mail
Florida 460 - (1005) Buenos Aires - Argentina
Tel. 4324-4700 ext. 724/725
Fax. 4325-8231
Platform for Young People in Agricultural Research for Development
(PYPARD)
The recent European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD) 2005 conference (Zurich, 27-29 April 2005) focussed on ARD issues and how these could contribute to poverty eradication, rural improvement through development and cooperation between North-South, South-South and West-East.
It was observed that:
- the majority of participants were highly experienced, articulate, with extensive knowledge of their subjects but were quite advanced in age
- very few of the participants were young researchers and their presentations were limited in number
- there are no separate youth-centred / youth-oriented fora or platforms where the younger representatives of stakeholders of the North and South can meet to explore opportunities for collaboration, brainstorm for collective benefit and develop their own capacities do that they can make a distinctive contribution to ARD.
It is very essential that the younger generation, whether they are researchers, farmers, activists of NGOs or journalists, should come together, establish / create measurable norms of excellence in the various ARD fields, organise their thoughts and activities on the progress in their fields and periodically measure their achievements against norms established by themselves and chart out further course of action. For this purpose, youth-centred/youth-oriented platforms or fora should be made available to them.
Inspiration for the platform came from the EFARD 2005 Conference. Those youth members who were present expressed their views on the debate on various issues on agricultural research for development. But at the end of the congress many of the participants realized the urgent need for a collective global interconnecting youth platform which could deal with information dissemination of research and development on agriculture, funding programmes of the North, collaborative partnerships and active involvement of youth from both North and South in advocacy of grassroot innovation. Hence the birth to PYPARD.
Based on the above facts and initial electronic discussion between the young people and ARD experts, a brain-storming meeting hosted by GFAR Secretariat was held in Rome on 12 July 2005, to further discuss on how to better involve the PYPARD in the global ARD discussions and debates. The initiative will be presented to the GFAR Steering Committee during its meeting in Marrakech on 03 December 2005.
What PYPARD aims to achieve?
"Attract, encourage, and motivate young people to take up and continue activities related to Agricultural Research for Development (ARD), and to further their attitudinal changes towards future responsibilities and to boost innovation"
Who will be the members of PYPARD?
The platform will involve youth members from all over the world. The platform will be a well organized structure with active participation of both developed and developing country members. Members will include young researchers, journalists, NGOs, farmers groups and those involved in ARD activities in general.
CONTACT
Balasubramanian Ramani
Institute for Botany
University of Hannover
Herrenhaueser Strasse 2
30419 Hannover
Germany
Tel: 0049 511 762 3790
Fax: 0049 511 762 3992/19262
Email: ,
ANGOC invites SA practitioners to join Training Program
The Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) is pleased to invite interested applicants engaged in sustainable agriculture (SA) initiatives to a 3-week training program entitled Sustainable Agriculture: A Viable Alternative for Resource Poor Farmers. Topics will include issues and trends facing agriculture; SA concepts, principles, practices and models; policy issues and tools for mainstreaming SA; marketing and certification; and field exposure to Philippine rural communities practicing SA.
This is the second module of a three-year series on "Building Capacities of Asian NGOs in Poverty Eradication through Community Action" organized with major funding support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The program will be held on 6-25 November 2005, in Quezon City, Philippines. Interested parties from non-government organizations, farmers' groups and government agencies may apply for this program. To find out more about the training course and eligibility, visit www.angoc.ngo.ph/tctp/tctp-sa.html.
We strongly advise those interested to apply early, since according to our experience, the endorsement procedure can take up a considerable amount of time.
CONTACT
ANGOC Regional Secretariat
P.O. Box 3107, QCCPO 1103
Quezon City, Philippines
e-mail:
Tel: (632) 4337653 / 4337654
Fax: (632) 9217498
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: