The role of agri-food systems and rural environments in achieving the SDGs encompasses multiple economic, environmental and social dimensions. The potential of agricultural research and innovation to bring about a fundamental transformation in these systems is immense; yet, research remains under-resourced around the world. Governments and funders demand clear and direct evidence of development impact and return on such investment.

GFAR aims to provide Partners with a collective, evidence-based voice for informing policy and promoting better and more coherent investment—with special attention to giving rural communities a direct say in innovation needs, and to addressing gender inequalities in access to resources and services.

GFAR promotes, advocates and facilitates for increased investment by building partnerships on shared priority issues, improving Partners’ access to and exchange of knowledge, enabling mutual learning and aiding effective communication. By harmonizing and amplifying our collective voice, we can present a strong case to policymakers and funders on the need for increased investment in agri-food research and innovation systems.

This Key Focus Area includes the following GFAR Collective Actions set out together by Partners in GFAR and endorsed by the GFAR Steering Committee for future development:

Generating New Forms of Investment

Agricultural research and innovation systems are under-resourced around the world. Advocating greater, and better forms, of investment requires collated evidence of returns in development impacts. Collective action is required for better integration of public and private investments, optimizing international impacts from existing capabilities, giving rural communities a direct say in innovation investments and establishing new mechanisms for coherent investment approaches across all the connections and processes required of innovation webs, to overcome the multiple bottlenecks and blockages to impact.

Innovative Approach to New SDG Metrics for Agri-Food Innovation        

GFAR provides Partners with a collective, evidence-based voice for informing policy and promoting better and more coherent investment, within and beyond specific institutional interests. The role of agri-food systems and rural environments in achieving the SDGs encompasses multiple economic, environmental and social dimensions. Fulfilling the SDGs thus requires a re-think of the metrics for success in agri-food innovation and changing the underlying value systems, an essential dimension of which is ensuring that poor rural communities themselves become part of these processes and associated policy-setting actions.