The expected outputs from the Conference were: 1) The voice and perspectives of GFAR stakeholders are added to the current global debate on the Millennium Development Goals; 2) Enhanced profile of agriculture and agricultural research sector by highlighting its contributions to the alleviation of development problems related to poverty, food insecurity and natural resources degradation in order to stimulate increased policy, political and funding support commensurate to the contributions; 3) Provision of guidelines for the development of an ARD agenda (GFAR Business Plan for 2007-2009) that will be implemented by GFAR stakeholders and their partners taking into consideration the urgent need to reorient agricultural research and development in order to meet the most pressing of societal needs encapsulated in the MDGs.

The proceedings of the conference revealed a rich tapestry of new concepts, ideas that ARD can use and direction it may take to effectively efficiently contribute towards meeting the MDGs. The most important message from the conference was that ARD has to urgently reorient itself towards becoming more pro-poor and contribute to satisfying the needs of the small producer and the rural poor. The change required is not only in technology and the processes that generate it but goes beyond to the systems that are now in place for agricultural research and Institutions that foster them. There is a need to rethink agricultural development. The paradigm needs to shift from increased production and productivity to how to enable entire agricultural systems to respond to markets, creating sustainable livelihoods in rural areas and conserving valuable natural resources. To generate the most appropriate technology and foster innovation for agricultural and rural development, there is a need to imbibe learning not only from biological and physical sciences but also the understanding from the sociology, politics, economics and environmental impact of generating technologies and promoting innovations. Reorientation of ARD will require that technology generation and innovation now have a holistic approach inculcating all the dimensions required for development and not only the “hard” sciences. The Conference reiterated that GFAR is one of the appropriate platforms for advocacy, action and assessment of the contribution of agricultural innovation to achieving development goals. The actions required from GFAR are:

• GFAR has to advocate the need to change systems, institutions and technology generation processes so that they become more pro-poor and biased towards satisfying the development needs of small producers and the rural poor.
• GFAR has to strengthen all the stakeholder constituencies so that they can, through an inclusive process, contribute to agricultural research and innovation that contributes to alleviation of poverty and elimination of extreme hunger as also social, economic and political deprivation.
• GFAR has to enable, build, foster and strengthen partnerships that contribute to agricultural research and innovation and, in turn, contribute to agricultural and rural development that leads to elimination of hunger and alleviation of poverty.
• GFAR has to mobilize and enable sharing and exchange of knowledge, information, experience, skills and resources that contribute to agricultural research and innovation globally, regionally, nationally and at local levels

Complete report of the Conference will be soon available for download from GFAR’s website at egfar.org