GCARD 3 at FARA @15 Celebration

28 November 2014. The FARA@15 Celebration provided the opportunity to announce the first step of a consultation on the new CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework (SRF), as well as the forthcoming launch of the GCARD 3 process.

“GCARD3 will be a two-year consultation process focusing on stakeholder and partner priorities and based on national and regional stakeholder consultations designed to help shape the strategy and future direction of international agriculture research and innovation.” (GCARD3 flyer)

Embedded in a joint FARA-CGIAR two and a half day ‘Workshop on Review and consolidation of the emerging Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa’s (S3A) operational strategy’, a panel composed of Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary of GFAR, Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of FARA, and Alain Vidal, Interim Strategy Director of the CGIAR Consortium, presented to around one hundred delegates about the longer term and innovative engagement concept of this third GCARD process in which:

“Consultations will continue throughout 2015 and will be both on-line and face-to-face at a global, regional and national levels. Some of the key consultations will be hosted by national partners around the shape and direction of the CGIAR Research Programs. The results of these consultations will provide inputs to a focused GCARD3 event in late 2015 and subsequent further development of the next round of CGIAR Research Program proposals.” (GCARD3 flyer).

A video, produced by GFAR, also shown at the event highlighted the importance of such an engagement process with stakeholders around the world to be able to properly orient agricultural research so that it aligns with what countries want to achieve as well as what is needed by the poor within those countries. Reinforcing this message, the panellists emphasized the need for agricultural research to be particularly aligned with development priorities in Africa, both for the future CGIAR strategy and programs and for the emerging S3A.

“GCARD3 will be an inclusive, participatory process and an opportunity to shape the future. It will encourage conversations for change in setting a new agenda for agricultural research in development and new pathways for uptake. The overall outcome will be the clear – and transparent – identification of international research priorities, and what’s needed to achieve future development goals in national systems, in particular for family farmers and poor communities.”(GCARD3 flyer)