AFRICAN FACE TO FACE CONSULTATION GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

5 8 October 2009. Accra, Ghana. Sixty three (63) participants are meeting at FARA’s new secretariat in Accra to review GCARD consultation efforts in Africa. Reflections in this blog are from David Hughes, Communications and Networking Officer for the Future Agricultures Consortium.

E-CONSULTATIONS

As part of the GCARD stakeholder engagement process, e-consultations were held. For Africa, there were more than 320 contributions from 65 countries (highest number of contributions were from: 1. Ghana, 2. Kenya, 3. Uganda, 4. Nigeria, 5. Ivory Coast). Prevalent feeling is that contributions were informed by actual field experience and local conditions.

Discussion subjects raised (commonly used words in brackets):
1. Knowledge (18%) (knowledge, information, science, innovation)
2. Resources (15%) (resource/s, soil, water, climate change)
3. Training (14%) (extension, dissemination, training, education)
4. Production (12%) (production/s, crops, food/s, productivity, fertilizer, seed, plant/s, water, vegetable, animal, fish)
5. Technologies (11%) (technology/ies, ICT)
6. Mechanisation (9%) (mechanization, machinery, tractors, waterset)
7. Indigenous Knowledge (8%) (indigenous (plant/knowledge), traditional)
8. Markets (6%) (market, agribusiness)
9. Partnerships (4%) (partnership, network, collaboration, interaction)
10. Policy (3%)
11. Infrastructure (<1%)

Participants were: researchers, scientists, lectures, farmers, civil society, youth and women, extension workers.

FARA GA 2010 Preparations

24-25 Sept 09, Ougadougou, Burkina Faso. In preparations for the African Agriculture Science Week and FARA General Assembly, an international organization committee appointed by the FARA Board visited Burkina Faso together with the FARA Secretariat Taskforce. Preparations are progressing together with the national organizing committee. The Government of Burkina Faso, is highly involved.

National Organizing Committee (NOC) and International Organizing Committee (IOC) members consultation on the program of preparations. they endorsed the theme, subtheme, speakers, program of the week and communication strategy.

IOC with the Minister of Agriculture, Hydraulics and water resources (Laurent Sedogo) and Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology (Maxime Some). IOC is chaired by the FARA Chair, Dennis Kyetere, members are Paco Sereme, Sylvie Mbog (representing Tiemoko Yo), Desire Porquet, Chermiti Amor (absent) and Monty Jones. FARA Secretariat Taskforce is led by Monty Jones, members: Myra Wopereis, Adewale Adekunle, Aggrey Agumya and Emily Nwankwo.