Social communicator at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) for the ICT-KM Program of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture (CGIAR)
A parallel session on capacity development took a hard look at research investment trends and returns in order to identify the challenges in capacity building in agriculture for the future. Dr. Nienke Beintema of ASTIA said that different countries have different financial and human capacities in public agricultural R&D. Additional investments are urgently needed for … More GCARD2010: Capacity Development
The immense potential of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) to provide aid, guidance, and support to the developing world has not yet been reached, according to the Global Author Report (GAT) and discussed by participants at this session. “I’m very happy that the emerging economies are taking AR4D into consideration,” said … More GCARD2010: Role of the Fast-Growing Economies as New Partners
Gender is a hot button issue at GCARD and the session on gender for inclusive development was no exception – a lively mix of videos, panel discussions and interactive nodes to map out practical ways to promote gender equality in agricultural research for development. “Wherever there are women, there is more enthusiasm and excitement,” said … More GCARD2010: Addressing Gender for Inclusive Development
Ajay Vashee of IFAP opened the partnerships session, stating that, “you cannot improve what you do not believe in and you cannot improve what you do not measure.” For Dr. Gebisa Ejeta, partnerships start with a “sense of humility and commitment.” He added, “the best way to manage partnerships is to put a big chunk … More GCARD2010: Improving Partnerships
This was a lively, interactive session where discussion ranged widely across many issues: including the need to bring all stakeholders into managing biodiversity, the importance of raising public awareness via the media to engage the public in that management, and the significance of advocacy in addressing policy-making on these issues. Focus should remain on research … More GCARD2010: Agricultural Biodiversity
Smallholder farmers in developing countries are on the front lines of climate change, and often have to bear the brunt of its impact. Bruce Campbell, Director of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Climate Change (CCAFS), kicked off the session with an overview of the proposed climate change mega-programme. Climate change and food security are the … More GCARD2010: Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
The agricultural research community plays a central role in finding solutions to the interlinked challenges of water scarcity and land degradation. Some 200 million farmers’ livelihoods could be improved across Africa and South Asia through water harvesting, soil and water conservation, water lifting, watershed management, storage, and increased water productivity. According to Dr. David Molden … More GCARD2010: Water, Soils and Ecosystems
In a session moderated by Dr. Mark Cackler of the World Bank, participants in the agriculture, nutrition, and health program session noted the importance of fruits and vegetables for diversified diets against a backdrop of the rising obesity epidemic in poor countries. To achieve this, they noted synergies with the program on crop diversity and … More GCARD2010: Agriculture, Nutrition and Health
Explaining why this parallel session was exclusively focused on rice, maize and wheat, Marianne Banzinger of CIMMYT said that it was important to move quickly to study the anticipated gap between between yield and demand, which the world will face long before 2050, and that this big challenge required coordinated investment and partnerships. “If we … More GCARD2010: Optimizing Productivity of Global Security Crops
Mark Rosegrant of IFPRI briefed session participants on the policy and institutional constraints and opportunities, and the CGIAR’s proposed thematic research focus, to support farm incomes for the poor. Overall, the research program aims to provide the evidence base and new ideas to support the creation of vibrant and sustainable markets for poor, smallholder farmers … More GCARD2010: Enabling agricultural incomes for the poor
Around 70 participants attended a session moderated by Dr. Maarten van Ginkel, Deputy Director General of Research at ICARDA, on the agro-ecosystem research area, one of the 8 suggested thematic areas of the CGIAR. The approach and geographical dimension “dictates the needs by itself and avoids requiring us to dictate the needs,” said Hartmann, Director … More GCARD2010: Agricultural Systems for the Poor and Vulnerable
“Preserving our biodiversity is really an insurance policy for humanity” The exhibition Mundia Mediterra opened on Sunday as part of the first Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development to illustrate the vital importance of the region as a bridge between Africa and Europe and a crucible of biodiversity which requires a high level of … More GCARD2010: About the Mediterranean Exhibition
“For farmers to adapt to new technologies, they really have to have enough information. Researchers are more like a club. They are unable to really communicate with farmers.” Stephen Muchiri, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), Kenya
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“I would request the researchers in the international community to get the information from the farmers, which will assist them to do exactly |what farmers require. Because the requirements for this place, are not the same requirements for other places. We are always ready for changes. To change for better, not for worse.” - Patrick … More GCARD2010: We are always ready for changes
by Howard Minigh*, Farming First Most of us involved with GCARD are well aware that food security has recently become a dominant issue on the global political agenda. The challenge ahead of us, according to the late Dr. Norman Borlaug, is to grow more food in the next 50 years than has been produced over … More GCARD2010 Guest blog: Building Partnerships to Drive Agricultural Innovation
“The first GCARD is being held at a time when developing- country agriculture is commanding the highest attention in over four decades. This attention is certain to wane in the coming years. We therefore must make hay while the sun shines,” Monty Jones, FARA. “Africa has transformed from self sufficiency in food 50 years ago … More GCARD2010 Day 2 in quotes and pics
On Monday evening, the CGIAR presented awards to international teams and individuals from the CGIAR Centers for their outstanding contribution to the international agricultural research community. Winners included: Dr. Parminder Virk, Senior Scientist in plant breeding at IRRI, received the Outstanding Scientific Support Team award on behalf of the team. Dr. William Dar, Director General … More GCARD2010: CGIAR and Agropolis Foundation Awards
A comprehensive report building on knowledge obtained from the regional consultations and including references to some 300 articles was formally presented to GCARD stakeholders today for review. Prepared by a team of experts led by Uma Lele, former Senior Advisor to the World Bank, and including Eugene Terry, Eduardo Trigo and Jules Pretty, the report … More GCARD2010: Transforming Agriculture Research for Development
Not yet, but there is good reason for optimism, said three of Africa’s leading farming and development advocates during a briefing with media at GCARD earlier today. Pointing to new investments and commitments from African governments, donors, and an emergence of the local private agribusiness sector and community-based farmer groups as examples of progress, Dr. … More GCARD2010: Is the African Green Revolution finally within reach?
