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This document represents a collaborative effort by the GFAR Secretariat and the Regional Forums to agree on a common policy for advocacy on ICM.

The need to participate in globally competitive markets, practice environmentally friendly farming and cope with rising farm input costs is making new knowledge a critical resource for agriculture. The recognition of knowledge as a critical resource for practising efficient farming and developing agriculture makes sharing and exchange of knowledge globally vital for agricultural development. Since agricultural research is a major source of new agricultural knowledge, this is a key strategic area of focus and intervention by GFAR whose mandate is to promote and facilitate agricultural research for development (ARD).
Improving knowledge sharing and exchange for ARD within the framework of the Global Forum for Agricultural Research is translated into strengthening and improving information sharing and exchange at different levels: community, Institute, national agricultural research and innovation systems, regional organizations and forums and global. The focus is on information sharing as it is information that, through integration with experience and learning, is converted into knowledge. 

From the GFAR perspective, the interventions in this area are primarily through improving the global flow of agricultural research information, ensuring its equitable access and appropriation by all agricultural actors and enabling learning systems to make effective use of it for agricultural innovation.

GFAR aims to improve the global flow of agricultural research information and information and communications management for agricultural research for development through four inter-related actions: 

1) Awareness, sensitization and advocacy to National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) leaders and policy makes for increased and improved investment, both financial and human capacities, in information and communications management;
2) Capacity development in NARS information managers; 
3) Greater coherence and integration of agricultural information systems; 
4) Improved governance of information flows to ensure equitable access to information related to agriculture globally.

The document details what and how the Regional Forums should advocate and what the role of the GFAR Secretariat should be.

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