GFAR Newsletter Issue 23-24, 02/2009
Newsletter date: 01/01/2009
]Editorial
2009 brings many new challenges for us all in our commitment to creating a world free from poverty and hunger. These past few months have seen some important milestones for the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR). Perhaps the most immediately significant is the role played by GFAR in the Change Management Process of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural research (CGIAR). By bringing together the perspectives of all those concerned with the future of agricultural research for development, GFAR has played an important role in ensuring that your views have actively contributed to this process. Through these discussions, effective partnership and delivery of development outcomes are now central to the purposes of the reformed international research system.
Formal agreement on change in the CGIAR was reached at the CGIAR AGM in Maputo, but the real work only starts there. A Transition Management Team (TMT) is steering the transition process to establish the new arrangements and ways of working now required of the international agricultural research system. I have been invited to represent GFAR in this Team and will do all I can to represent and link the needs of the CGIAR’s many partners into these processes. Your thoughts and inputs will always be welcome.
During the CGIAR AGM 2008, it was also agreed that GFAR would take the lead in organizing, together with the Alliance of CG Centers and our other stakeholders, a biennial Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD). The first of these will take place in February 2010 in Montpellier, France. To lead design and programming of this major event, a multi-stakeholder Task Force is being established under the chairmanship of Dr Monty Jones, World Food Prize Laureate and Executive Director of FARA.
This Conference will replace both the CGIAR annual AGM and the GFAR Triennial Conference and will highlight the importance of inclusiveness and working together to achieve today’s agricultural research and humanitarian goals. It will review international research needs and establish forward plans on priorities, partnerships and the resources and capacities required.
Over the year ahead, through GFAR’s networks of partners, we aim to foster and support processes of consultation in each region, mobilizing knowledge and opinion on priority needs of countries around the world from the research systems and stakeholder communities concerned. GFAR’s roles in global advocacy on agricultural research issues, fostering institutional change in research, extension and education, innovative international partnerships and knowledge dissemination are increasingly drawn on by a wide range of development partners. In 2009, all of the constituents of the Global Forum from around the world look forward to working closely with the renewed CGIAR in this new era of agricultural research for development.
Formal agreement on change in the CGIAR was reached at the CGIAR AGM in Maputo, but the real work only starts there. A Transition Management Team (TMT) is steering the transition process to establish the new arrangements and ways of working now required of the international agricultural research system. I have been invited to represent GFAR in this Team and will do all I can to represent and link the needs of the CGIAR’s many partners into these processes. Your thoughts and inputs will always be welcome.
During the CGIAR AGM 2008, it was also agreed that GFAR would take the lead in organizing, together with the Alliance of CG Centers and our other stakeholders, a biennial Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD). The first of these will take place in February 2010 in Montpellier, France. To lead design and programming of this major event, a multi-stakeholder Task Force is being established under the chairmanship of Dr Monty Jones, World Food Prize Laureate and Executive Director of FARA.
This Conference will replace both the CGIAR annual AGM and the GFAR Triennial Conference and will highlight the importance of inclusiveness and working together to achieve today’s agricultural research and humanitarian goals. It will review international research needs and establish forward plans on priorities, partnerships and the resources and capacities required.
Over the year ahead, through GFAR’s networks of partners, we aim to foster and support processes of consultation in each region, mobilizing knowledge and opinion on priority needs of countries around the world from the research systems and stakeholder communities concerned. GFAR’s roles in global advocacy on agricultural research issues, fostering institutional change in research, extension and education, innovative international partnerships and knowledge dissemination are increasingly drawn on by a wide range of development partners. In 2009, all of the constituents of the Global Forum from around the world look forward to working closely with the renewed CGIAR in this new era of agricultural research for development.
Mark Holderness
Executive Secretary
Executive Secretary
News from the Global Forum
Decisions made in Maputo pave the way for big changes in agricultural research for development
The GFAR Steering and Programme Committees, as well as the GFAR Donor Support Group met from 26 November to 29 November, before the 2008 CGIAR AGM, to discuss important issues surrounding the future plan of action and course for GFAR. ...
[Read article >>]
Partnerships in Practice
AARINENA General Conference discusses future work plans
The 11th General Assembly of the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA) held from 12 to 14 October 2008 in Damascus, Syria discussed the organization’s work plan and areas of focus for the 2008-2011 ...
[Read article >>]
The Global Forum Moves to Strengthen Civil Society
GFAR is keen on strengthening Civil Society engagement amongst those who care about the future of agriculture. ...
[Read article >>]
Innovation and Knowledge Prove Vital at the FORAGRO General Assembly
Centered around the idea that agricultural knowledge and innovation are the key factors in alleviating the global problems that face the world's poor; the Fifth International Reunion of FORAGRO from 31 July to 1 August 2008 ...
[Read article >>]
FP7 Programme of the European Commission
Looking towards the Science Forum 2009 Using Innovative Science to Address Poverty Alleviation
The CGIAR Science Council is organizing a science forum in partnership with The Alliance and Global Forum on Agricultural Research, to be co-sponsored and hosted by Wageningen UR in the Netherlands, on 16-17 June 2009. ...
[Read article >>]
Global Advocacy: Climate Change
APAARI: A Declaration on Climate Change
A recent international conference: 'Global Climate Change - Imperatives for Agricultural Research and Development’, co-organized by the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) ...
[Read article >>]
Agriculture Must be Considered to Combat Climate Change
The United Nations Conference on Climate Change, which took place in Poznan, Poland in December 2008, was a vital stepping stone in laying the groundwork for an international response to climate change from governments throughout the world. ...
[Read article >>]
Global Climate Change Conference in Alexandria discusses dryland regional response to environmental changes
The Ninth International Conference on Development of Drylands (ICDD), with the theme "Sustainable Development in the Dry Lands - Meeting the Challenge of Global Climate Change" was co-sponsored by GFAR. ...
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Institutional Change
CGIAR: The Transition Begins
From the CGIAR website: Now that the proposal for a revitalized CGIAR is approved, we will enter into a transition phase. The CGIAR Members appointed a Transition Management Team (TMT) to oversee implementation of the agreed changes. The TMT provides monthly progress updates. ...
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Meet the members of the Transition Management Team
At the Annual General Meeting 2008, the CGIAR established a Transition Management Team (TMT) to oversee the agreed revitalization of the CGIAR. Led by Katherine Sierra, CGIAR Chair, members of the TMT include: ...
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Knowledge for All
GFAR participation in the World Conference on Agricultural Information and IT 2008
The World Conference on Agricultural Information and IT was held in Atsugi (Tokyo), Japan, from 24 to 27 August 2008.
The joint Conference included three major events: the 12th World Congress of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD), ...
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CIARD launched on 28 August 2008
The Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD) initiative, for which GFAR and FAO provides a hub facilitating linkages between the many organizationsinvolved, was officially launched on August 26th 2008 during the World Conference on Agricultural Information and IT, ...
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Workshop on New Ways of Sharing Information Benefit Many in Maputo
A group of actors representing several prominent organizations active in generating and enabling use of information, knowledge, skills and technology met on 4 and 5 December at Maputo, Mozambique to discuss how to improve knowledge sharing and exchange, ...
[Read article >>]
Knowledge “Share Fair” makes an impact at FAO Headquarters
Ever wondered exactly what micro-blogging is, or how to edit video so that it contributes to knowledge sharing in an organization or a community? From 20 to 22 January, participants found out how to do just this and more at the FAO-hosted 3 day “Knowledge Share Fair”, ...
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FARA communications: the FARA Blogger
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) has been running a very active blog for over a year.
Thanks to a small group of very active bloggers this tool has became an interesting place where one can find regularly updated ...
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The CGIAR: learning how to improve its research effectiveness and impact through knowledge sharing
The CGIAR Centres and Programs together with their many partners, are creating a wealth of knowledge that is aimed at helping to increase productivity within agriculture and improve livelihoods of people, primarily in developing countries. While all players are doing much to ensure that this knowledge
Other News
Dr Raj Paroda receives Lifetime Achievement Award
We at GFAR are delighted to report that Dr Raj Paroda, Chair, GFAR Programme Committee, Executive Secretary, APAARI, and Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), has recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding work ...
[Read article >>]
