New Agriculturist: Focus on... Foresight and partnership
Focus on... Foresight and partnership
Foresight and partnership were two major themes at the Second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2), held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in 2012. GCARD2 highlighted the importance of matching research priorities to future development needs in a fast changing world and building collective purpose, common understanding and shared responsibilities to achieve impacts at scale.
Here we focus on some exciting new initiatives presented in the GCARD2. These initiatives are working through collective actions to improve foresight, investment and research planning, partnership and delivery at all levels, to ensure that farmers are equal partners in shaping the future of agriculture.
The new world map of agricultural R&D investment
A new global assessment of agricultural research and development has provided data to inform debates at GCARD2 about global R&D spending, contradicting conventional wisdom that investments in the developing world have been slowing down, yet the poorest countries are falling further behind.
Plausible futures: the art of foresight
The Global Foresight Hub is calling on forward thinkers to come together and share their diverse approaches to foresight, orienting research towards plausible futures for agriculture.
Agriculture for better nutrition
Although the agriculture, health and nutrition sectors all seek to improve human well-being, agriculture has rarely been explicitly deployed to address health and nutrition challenges. Examples of meeting nutritional needs through a diversity of agricultural approaches were presented at GCARD2.
Empowering farmers for market advocacy
Farmer organisations need research findings that can be easily used to advocate for smallholder friendly policies and institutions. To raise the voice of smallholders to help re-balance policies and interventions, the Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Markets (ESFIM) programme is working across ten countries in Africa, South America and South East Asia to strengthen collaborative, farmer-led research for advocacy.
Climate change adaptation: determining what will grow where
Launched at GCARD2 by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), a new policy brief outlines the challenges faced in feeding an estimated 9 billion people by 2050. In the brief, the need for a complete re-calibration of what we grow around the world is detailed.
Partnerships and innovative ways of approaching research
It was clear from the speakers and participants at GCARD2 that partnership is key to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and increasing food production. The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development outlines how it strengthens development capacity and coordinates agricultural research.