Research for Development: The GCARD

FAO September 2009

Why aren’t knowledge and innovation better agents of change and development?

• Control 

• Awareness 

• Media

• Accessibility

• Reductionism/complexity

• Intelligibility & format

• Relevance

• Institutional barriers

• Belief systems

• Attitude to change

Why FAO is a co‐sponsor of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research for Development

A revolution is needed in:

• Institutional investment

• Capacities

• Coordination

• Focus

• Thinking & behaviour

GFAR is the catalyst to spark the revolution

GFAR: a unique partnership for change

• Linking perspectives of science and society

• Informing Policy on key global issues• Shaping agricultural research to meet development needs

• Empowering communities to generate their own solutions

A forum for a new era

Ensuring that the needs of the poor and disadvantaged are central to ARD processes

Advocacy for change

GFAR enables a collective movement for change:

• Open and inclusive consultation on future needs in agricultural development: GCARD

• Establishing the context and partnerships for international agricultural research

• A unified voice into global processes for investment in new institutions and innovative solutions

• Active dialogue to mobilize advanced science for development: Science Forum, FAO Biotechnology conference 

CGIAR AGM 2008 Decision

CONSORTIUM FUND

FUND COUNCIL

Fund Mgmt Unit

FUNDER SUMMIT

CONFERENCE on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD)CONFERENCE on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD)CONFERENCE on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD)

Strategy and Results Framework

Strategy and Results Framework

BOARD

Centers

Consortium CEO

Common Services

Program Performance Contracts

Accountability Center

Performance Agreements

Science and Partnership Council

Science and Partnership Council

A biennial global conference on agricultural research for development will be organized by GFAR in collaboration with the Consortium and Independent Science and Partnership Council.

Value of GCARD to the CGIAR

• Aligns CGIAR’s research towards national and global development goals

• Increases speed and scale of development impact from CGIAR investments

• Clarifies CGIAR’s most valuable niche in the ARD system

• Brings open accountability of the CGIAR’s programmes to intended end-users and beneficiaries

Value of GCARD to FAO• As a GFAR constituent & co‐sponsor, FAO can make use of 

GFAR and the GCARD mechanism to pursue and strengthen its actions

• Explicitly addresses the role of research and extension systems in delivering agricultural change towards meeting medium and long‐term food goals

• Complements and builds from the World Summit on Food Security and Expert Forum on Feeding the World in 2050

• Develops and strengthens partnerships between FAO, the CGIAR and public, private and civil stakeholders in research and advisory services

• Provides demand‐driven connection between FAO programmes and research‐for‐development practitioners and capacity needs around the world

Partners in the Global ARD System

Knowledge Flow

Policy

Processes & Networks

Market drivers

Innovation pathways

Analysis of agriculturaldevelopment and innovation needs

Enabling environment & inputs

Desired Desired development development

impactimpact

GCARD: Towards strategic global AR4D systems

GCARD Aim

To develop a new global agricultural research system that directly impacts the poor

• Agricultural research is driven by achieving sustainable development impacts

• Research outputs are accessible & relevant to the poor

• Clear roles & responsibilities, working collectively towards shared objectives

• Processes require subsidiarity, partnership & inclusiveness

• Scientific knowledge impacts development policies and practices

• Research investment increased & aligned with development funding

Value of GCARD to GFAR constituencies

• Tighter connection between research institutions and delivery partners

• Opportunity to influence global agricultural research priorities

• Research reaches farmers faster and more effectively

• Research embeddedin development processes

• Increased awarenessof the need for investments in capacities& institutions

• Research moreaccountable tobeneficiaries

What FAO can bring the GCARD:

• Strong FAO & Ministerial presence in the high level summit on investment in research and towards more demand driven processes in research

• Support harmonization of research investments with wider development funding

• Strong technical perspectives informing consultations around the role of agricultural research in development

• Connection with issues and investments in the wider agricultural domain, including forestry & fisheries 

• Focus on knowledge sharing and the better use of research outcomes in policy & practice

• Take‐up into wider meetings and investments towards feeding the world into the future

The GCARD process: learning and feedback over a six-year cycle

2009-2010

Global and regional reviews

Consultations

GCARD Conference

2011-2012 2013-2014

CGIAR SRF

CGIAR M-Ps

e-consultation

Face to face regional discussion

GCARD

Regional reviews

Regional AR4D priorities

Synth.& go-ahead

Science

Forum

The GCARD process

Consultation Summary

• What are the needs and priorities for agricultural research in delivering defined development impacts?

• What mechanisms and partnerships are required in innovation pathways turning research into development impacts at scale?

• What are the key blockages, barriers and bottlenecks that prevent research from benefiting the poor?

• How best should these be resolved and what enabling investments, policies and capacities are most needed?

Who’s on‐line?

Over 1,100 people & organizations are already active in the debate:

• ARCs, NARIs, Regional Fora: 30%

• ARIs, IARCs: 29%

• CSOs, Farmers Organizations, INGOs, NGOs: 17%

• Private Sector: 5%

• Governments, Donors: 13%

• Other: 6%

What are people saying so far?• “The present system is with a faulty assumption that everything done in agric. 

research center is for the benefits of the poor farmers." 

• "The reasons why many African farmers remain poor is that they act alone, produce alone, plan alone, sell alone, bear their losses alone" 

• “A profession keeps improving when passed on generation after generation. Today no farmer wants their children continue in their profession" 

• "The Agri. sciences have become talent‐starved & many universities in Asia do not get many talented students for Masters and PhD programs." 

• “Indeed few countries invest more than 1% of their GDP in research. Most of West Asia & North Africa’s countries are below 0.5/0.6 %." 

• “It’s opportune to review the “investment‐outcome” in biotech/IT versus the traditional ag‐sciences both for education and research." 

• “Adoption of agri technology depends not only on science & technology, but also on underlying social, policies, and institutional settings.”

• “Paradox: City grown individuals get an Agri education in City‐based Agri‐College and push the bookish knowledge on poor village farmers." 

• "Unfortunately, research issues are discussed in a narrow circle of agricultural scientists, who should have been in retirement." 

Regional Consultations Schedule

Region Regional Fora linksE‐Consultation Dates and Links for registration

Face‐to‐Face Meeting Points for registration

Face‐to‐Face Meeting Venue

AfricaForum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)

7‐23 September            Register now!

FARA, Executive Secretary: mjones@fara‐africa.org

5‐7 October 2009Accra, Ghana

Asia and the Pacific

Asia‐Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI)

1‐20 September Register now!

APAARI Executive Secretary: raj.paroda@apaari.org, raj.paroda@yahoo.com

30‐31 October 2009 Bangkok, Thailand

Central Asia and the Caucuses

Central Asia and the Caucasus Association of Agricultural Research Institution (CACAARI)

3‐23 SeptemberRegister now!

CACAARI, Executive Secretary: a.rahmetov@cgiar.org, Z.Khalikulov@cgiar.org

16‐17 October 2009Tashkent, Uzbekistan

EuropeEuropean Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD)

2‐21 SeptemberRegister now!

EFARD Representative: george.rothschild@btopenworld.com

29 September 2009 Brussels, Belgium

Latin America

Forum for the Americas on Agricultural Research and Technology Development (FORAGRO)

14‐30 SeptemberRegister now!

FORAGRO, Executive Secretary: enrique.alarcon@iica.int

19‐21 October 2009Cali, Colombia

Near East and Northern Africa

Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA)

2‐24 SeptemberRegister now!

AARINENA Executive Secretary: i.hamdan@cgiar.org, ihamdan@link.net

10‐12 November 2009Alexandria, Egypt

Associated GFAR Actions

• Examining best practice in extension investment

• Effective AR4D investment: learning from innovative programmes

• Examining agricultural research investments and returns

• Strengthening civil society involvement in Regional Fora and inter-regional programmes

• Examining the new AR4D roles of the “BRICS”

• GPAFSN & G8 advocacy for research investment

Event Outcomes

•Policymakers aware of new investment needs and forms

•AR4D frameworks and priorities discussed and validated at regional & global levels

•Roles of AR4D partners recognized, valued & mutually understood

•Transparent accountability of SRF and Megaprogrammes of CGIAR

•Plan of work to deliver development impact through research partnerships on identified key themes...towards a Global AR4D System...

The GCARD event will have a very different “look and feel” from past events

Next steps from now

• Get involved in the e-consultations now happening in each region

• Mobilize your networks of connection to help ensure all get involved

• Consider how FAO processes and meetings can link practically and inform the GCARD

• Take up outcomes of the regional processes into capacity development role and into policies and practices

THANK YOU