Final GCARD RoadMap

The GCARD RoadMap has been finalized. The contributions and dynamic interaction of thousands of stakeholders from all sectors have created the GCARD Roadmap, providing a clear path forward for all involved. The Roadmap highlights the urgent changes required in AR4D systems globally, to address worldwide goals of reducing hunger and poverty, creating opportunity for income growth while ensuring environmental sustainability and particularly meeting the needs of resource-poor farmers and consumers.

GCARD RoadMap Translations

The GCARD RoadMap is now available in Arabic, French,  Russian and Spanish.

New GCARD RoadMap Version

The new version of  GCARD RoadMap is available.  The RoadMap was created through the contributions and dynamic interaction of thousands of stakeholders from all sectors with the aim of promoting discussion, partnership and actions around key themes.

The deadline for the invitation to express your country’s interest in hosting the GCARD 2012 Conference has been extended until February 28, 2011

Several countries have indicated that they would like more time to prepare their propositions and the CGIAR wishes to further consider its expectations from the GCARD in relation to the reform process.

GFAR has therefore agreed to extend the deadline for submission to the end of February 2011.  We look forward to your expressions of interest.

Invitation to express your country’s interest in hosting the GCARD 2012 Conference

Message from Mr Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary, GFAR

Those of you who were with us in the GCARD 2010 in Montpellier, France, last March will know the excitement and energy generated in that event around transforming agricultural research for development.

GFAR, together with the CGIAR, are now initiating preparations for the next Conference in the cycle, to be held in 2012. The request for Expressions of Interest to host GCARD 2012 is for your kind consideration and response as potential host countries.

Please note also that in order to give sufficient time for effective planning and preparation for the conference, we request that your formal expressions of interest are received by the GFAR Secretariat by the deadline of December 15 2010.

Get involved with the CGIAR Mega-program Consultations

Message from Mr Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary, GFAR

Following requests at the recent (July 2010) CGIAR Fund Council meeting, the CGIAR Consortium Board has now compiled and made available a list of all the consultations with partners that are being organized by the CGIAR Centers around their development of proposed Mega-program concepts. The purpose of these consultations is to ensure that perspectives of national partners and end-users are taken into account in the design of the Mega programs in order to make the CGIAR’s work as relevant and impact-oriented as possible.  Funding to support these consultations will come from the CGIAR Fund to the lead CGIAR Centers responsible for convening the consultations.

Support to the CGIAR is a significant and valued investment. Nonetheless, this support is only a part of the investment and transformative action required for agricultural research and knowledge to bring about the desired large scale development impacts. However, when this is suitably blended with wider national and regional investments, it can serve as a significant catalyst for much larger change.

The wider actions, capacities and investments required for AR4D outputs to be transformed into development outcomes touching the lives of millions of people were discussed in the GCARD 2010 process and outlined in the Montpellier Action Plan and are the focus of GFAR over the years ahead.  GFAR, through the Research Fora and stakeholder networks of each region, will be actively discussing these linkages over the months to come and building a coordinated and mutually accountable approach to addressing the capacity needs and collective actions required in each region, as highlighted in the GCARD 2010.

As you will notice, the consultations for developing the proposed Mega programmes are organized around a tight timetable. We urge you all to connect with those leading each of the proposed Mega programmes (CGIAR contact points are included in the list) to establish how you can contribute to the development of these Mega programmes.  Your contributions will help to assure that international investments into the CGIAR programmes are tailored and targeted to meet the needs of your region and country and are cast in a way to ensure that all can lead to effective impact for the target end users.

DR. N.G. HEGDE GCARD response

Dear Dr. Jones and Dr. Holderness,

I take this opportunity to thank you and your Chairman and the colleagues for giving me an opportunity to attend the GCARD meeting held in Montpellier in March 2010.  I also wish to take this opportunity to compliment all of you for organising this meeting so effectively by involving different stakeholders.  This is probably the best meetings of CGIAR I have ever attended because of the diversity and opportunity for everyone to contribute. 

I also feel that restructuring of the programme of CGIAR under the leadership of GFAR provides an excellent opportunity for the Civil Society Organisations to associate with the programme who can play significant role in effectively transferring technologies from research institutions to small farmers. 

I am happy to inform you that BAIF is a reputed CSO, working in India since 42 years for promoting sustainable development of natural resources while providing livelihood to over 3 million small farmers.  BAIF is currently associated with ICRISAT and ILRI and we hope we will have opportunities to work with other international research institutions as well in the years to come. 

I take this opportunity to invite you to visit us at your earliest convenience.  

With best regards,

DR. N.G. HEGDE

Trustee and Principal Adviser

BAIF Development Research Foundation

Website: www.baif.org.in