“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?
“How we will be able to focus on poor small holder farmers at a global scale? Each farmer and each of those farms are different and so small. How will we be able to make an impact on all those farms and invest the funds to really make a difference at that level? I would … More Voices from the corridor - GCARD2010 day 2
The afternoon session on collective action in international agricultural research was conceived as a linkage with the regional discussions from the morning. Dr Colin Chartres of IWMI gave a presentation on the CGIAR perspectives on partnerships, outlining the challenges and opportunities based on concrete examples of the CGIAR’s work with regional partners. Chartres acknowledged that … More GCARD2010: Collective action in international agricultural research
In 2009, a global consultation process involving over 2,000 stakeholders from 200 countries around the world was launched to “check the pulse” of the global agricultural research system and map out regional AR4D priorities in order to ensure a more cohesive global research agenda. The outcomes of these consultations were captured in a series of … More GCARD2010: Building From Regional Expressions of Demand
Dr. Monty Jones, Incoming Chair of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research, and Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa set the scene for the day by emphasizing the responsibility of participants to represent the needs of the hundreds of millions of resource poor farmers, livestock keepers, fish producers and forest dwellers … More GCARD2010 Day 2: Building a shared vision for change
“You as a farmer, you are a business man, and research is part of your business.” Marcelo Secco, Director of a beef and lamb processing plant, Uruguay
GCARD Daily News presents a few highlights of each day. PDF version of the daily highlights from Day 1 (Sunday, 28 March) is available here. See all videos See all the photos
“I think a key challenge for resource-poor farmers is access to new technologies. In traditional extension approaches, it is considered that technology will magically make it’s way through to poor households and that doesn’t happen.” Noel Magor, Head of Training, International Rice Research Institute, IRRI
David Nabarro, UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition [Vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/10526343%5D
Thank you, Dr. Adel-El Beltagy. It is an awesome task to be asked to try to synthesize what you’ve heard today. I kept count: we’ve had 33 very distinguished speakers in three very broad-ranging panels, not counting the opening addresses. I will try to pull the pieces together as I see them. It seems that … More Synthesis of GCARD2010 Day 1 by Ismail Serageldin, Director, Library of Alexandria
Everything is ready to go “It is wrong to burn the food of the poor to drive the cars of the rich”, Ismail Serageldin, Library of Alexandria. “Declarations, commitments and speeches don’t feed hungry people“, Kanayo Nwanze, IFAD Kanayo Nwanze “I urge all of you to push for that poor farmer“, Katherine Sierra, World Bank. … More GCARD2010: The day in quotes and pics
“I think that we still talk too much about researchers, and not enough about farmers, farmer’s knowledge and empowering farmers. I hope we will have interactive sessions where I can intervene and say that we don’t value farmer’s knowledge enough” Indian women farmer “The morning session surpassed my expectations. I liked how trade and equity … More GCARD2010: Voices from the Corridor
Translating increased awareness and pledges to agriculture into a meaningful boost in investment may depend on building better linkages to farmers, reaching clearer accountability, and making national program more attractive to funding agencies, according to panelists in an afternoon session on investment in agricultural research. The panel was moderated by Dr. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chair of … More GCARD2010: Investing for a Better Future
Addressing the challenges facing global food security over the next the forty years will require new interdisciplinary, farmer-driven partnerships that harness the private sector’s unique ability to bring new innovations to scale, said a panel of public and private sector representatives. Several panelists also highlighted the need for a priority focus on solving problems, … More GCARD2010: Partnerships for a better future
“The researchers need to work more with producers at their farms, listening to their problems, and with the clear notion that they are not coming to bring us a recipe, but that we will learn from them as they will learn from us.” Edison Betencourt, farmer, Uruguay
An influential panel of global leaders from local and international institutions opened the first-ever Global Conference for Agricultural Research for Development this morning, highlighting the need for increased collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation in order to meet grand challenges that we all face in feeding the world. “GCARD offers a special opportunity to strengthen international … More GCARD2010 Opens With Serious Tone, Focused On Finding Consensus, Moving Beyond Rhetoric
“Farmers are tired of people going to take water samples, soil samples, crop samples. They are fatigued. Farmers want to see benefits.” Mary Njenga, agricultural researcher, Kenya
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