WEBINAR: European Forum for Agricultural Research and Development (EFARD)

14 September 2020. EFARD 2020 Virtual AGM.

The European Forum for Agricultural Research and Development (EFARD), organised a VIRTUAL AGM on "Strengthening EFARD’s Networking Capacity: Implications for Governance, Partnerships, Funding”. 

Part 1

• Unpacking the Policy, Research and Innovation Drivers for Agricultural Transformation Post Covid-19, Francesco Rampa, Head of Programme, Sustainable Food Systems, ECDPM ; 
• The Role of the Private Sector in Fostering Innovation, Edouard Lehmann, Research and Innovation Manager, COLEACP ; 
• EFARD's Role in EU Development Cooperation Agenda for Agricultural Transformation, Christophe Larose, Head of Sustainable Agriculture, DG-DEVCO

Part 2:

• Strengthening EFARD's Networking Capacity: Implication for Governance, Partnerships, Funding
  A network analysis (18 pages) was performed of six leading continental and global ARD multi-stakeholder platforms. These platforms are composed of over 265 national, regional and international organisations, and the analysis highlights EFARD’s position and the conditions that foster or hinder EFARD in enabling strategic dialogue and galvanising commitment to achieve the desired development impact on agri-food system transformation. The six ARD multi-stakeholder platforms included: (i) The European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD), (ii) The European Alliance for Agricultural Knowledge for Development (AGRINATURA) ; (iii) The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) ; (iv) The Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) ; (v) The Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR) ; (vi) The AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation (AU-EU HLPD) 
• MT Report 2018-2020
• Strategic Realignment: Defining EFARD's Position in AGRINATURA; GFAR, TAP 
• Presentation and Endorsement of EFARD Management Team 2020-2022 
• EFARD's Value Proposition and Key Elements of EFARD Strategic Plan 2020- 2022

"Going forward EFARD needs to dedicate more resources; technical and financial as well as human capital to networking within Europe, building strategic alliances and creating opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and data among its constituent members and with other regional, continental, global and thematic networks for addressing global challenges." (page 11 of the analysis)

Prof. Dr. Dietrich Darr (Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences) is the new incoming chair of

EFARD. He is professor of agribusiness (since 2012). His research interests include the analysis of smallholders’ land use-related decision-making, the role of underutilized wild fruits and other non-timber forest resources in local livelihoods and value chains, as well as upgrading and innovation management in the food and NTFP (Non-Timber Forest Products) processing industry.