FORAGROForum for the Americas on Agricultural Research

and Technology Development

11th General Conference of AARINENA12-14 October 2008, Damascus-Syria

Progress and Achievements 2006-2008

FORAGRO

FARA APAARI

AARINENAEFARD

CAACARI

Global Forum of Agricultural Research

Public Sector

Agricultural Producers

NGOs

UniversitiesPrivate Sector

•DIALOGUE

•ARTICULATION

•ALLIANCES

•ADVOCACY ROLE (R&D political positioning)

• S&T DEVELOPMENT

Executive Committee

International Organizations

TechnicalSecretariat

NARIs

Stakeholders, functions and organization…

GFAR 2006 hopes to contribute and influence significantly in mapping out the direction for a re-oriented agricultural research

Until the 50´s - Units of the Ministries of Agriculture 50´s - 70´s - Creations of NARIs

(INTA Argentina, INIAP Ecuador, INIA Mexico, ICA Colombia, INIA Chile, EMBRAPA Brasil, INIA Perú, FONAIAP Venezuela, IBTA Bolivia, INTA Nicaragua)

80´s - 2000´s- Reformulations and Creations of NARIs (INIA Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Perú, …... )

2000´s - National Innovation Systems (NIS Uruguay)

Institutional Evolution

National Level

1971 Internationals Centers, CGIAR 1996 Global Forum of Agricultural Research, GFAR

1955 – IICA 1980 – PROCIs 1996 – FORAGRO 1998 – FONTAGRO 2002 – INIAs Iberoamerica

Towards Innovation Systems

2000 Millenium Development Goals, UN

Institutional EvolutionInstitutional Evolution

International Level

Regional Level

The Second External Review of GFAR, 2007New Challenges and Perspectives for GFAR

• FORAGRO’s strength lies in building and strengthening its Sub-Regional organizations and playing a coordinating role to harness efforts of its Sub-Regional organizations

• The fostering of Inter-Regional Partnerships between the Fora should be emphasized

• GFAR plays its catalytic role in promoting capacity development and exchange of experience on policy design and analysis, advocacy and strategic thinking

Problems

Global, Complex, Interconnected and Interdependence

Approaches

Integrals, Holistic, Systemic and Ecological

Multi- disciplinary, Inter- institutional, Collaborative

Regional and International Cooperation

Key elements for Regional Cooperation

• Common regional opportunities• Common threats• Avoid duplication of efforts• Economies of scale and scope• Technological “spillovers” and “spill-ins”• Diversity of technological demands • Adaptation for institutional survival

Efficacy and efficiency of R&D processes

REGION AMAZONICAREGION AMAZONICAPROCITROPICOS (90’S)PROCITROPICOS (90’S)

REGION CARIBEREGION CARIBEPROCICARIBE (90’)

REGION ANDINA PROCIANDINO (80’)

REGION NORTEREGION NORTEPROCINORTE (2000’)PROCINORTE (2000’)

REGION CONO SURREGION CONO SURPROCISUR (70’)PROCISUR (70’)

AMERICA CENTRALAMERICA CENTRALSICTA (90’)SICTA (90’)

PROMECAFE (70’)PROMECAFE (70’)

Regional System of Agricultural Research Sub-Regional Cooperatives Programs R & D

NARSsNARSs

NARSsNARSs

Hemispheric System for Cooperation among Countries in Agricultural R & D

Millennium Development GoalsMillennium Development Goals

NNEETTWWOORRDDSS

CIPCIP

CIPCIP

NNEETTWWOORRDDSS

R&D Agencies from Developed Countries

NARSsNARSs

Purposes of the Forum’s Work Program during the period 2006-2008

• Consolidation of the Forum for Dialogue among different stakeholders on agriculture from the technological perspective

• Execution of FORAGRO’s lines of work under the Plan of Action 2006-2008

• Promote closer coordination and strategic partnerships among the actors that conform the Regional R&D System

• Undertake efforts to link the technological institutional framework more closely with the GFAR

• Advocacy for the repositioning of agricultural research and innovation in national and regional political agendas

FORAGRO’s Lines of Action

1. Hemispheric Dialogue

2. Support for a Regional R&D Agenda

3. Capacity building: exchange of experiences

4. Prospective studies

5. Information management for R&D

6. Presence and lobby for R&D in relevant Fora

7. Support of the Regional R&D System

ACHIEVEMENTS 2006-2008

• Electronic Forum among a wide range of actors on institutional policies and transformations as input for the Ministerial Meeting in Guatemala 2007

• Technological Forum and Declaration release in the 4th Ministerial Meeting in Guatemala 2007

• Organization of the 5th International Meeting of FORAGRO…

“Institutional Innovations to face new challenges for Agricultural Development in the Americas“

Line of Action 1: Hemispheric Dialogue

Celebration of the Executive Committee and the FORAGRO Plan of Action (FPA)

• FORAGRO’s Executive Committee met in September 2006 in Montevideo

• Election of President, and Vice-Presidents of NARs, Private sector, Universities and NGO

• FPA 2006-2008 approval

• Decision to hold the 5th International Meeting of FORAGRO in Montevideo in 2008

V REUNION INTERNACIONAL de FORAGRO “ Innovaciones Institucionales para una Agricultura con Conocimiento en las Américas del Siglo XXI ”

Montevideo, Uruguay - 2008

V INTERNATIONAL MEETING of FORAGRO

Mission

1. for R&D in relevant Fora

2. Support of the Regional R&D System

Celebration of the Fifth International Meeting of FORAGRO - Montevideo, 2008

• Focus: Institutional innovations for an agriculture with knowledge in the Americas in the 21st century.

• Analysis of priority issues from this perspective:– strategic role of agriculture for development and food security– protection of public goods and information management; – family / small-scale agriculture; – impact of science and technology on poverty reduction;– climate change and agro-energy; – agro-biodiversity and safe use of agro-biotechnologies– current levels of funding for research in LAC countries

• Space for dialogue on CGIAR’s current process of change and the perspective of Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Opportunity to interact with GFAR and other member Regional Fora and to promote cooperation between continents

Mission

Final Agreements in the Declaration of Montevideo 2008

• Most relevant topics for Hemispheric Cooperation:– Management of the protection of public goods– Management of information, communication and collaborative

learning among actors for technological innovation– Adaptation to climate change with a focus on soil and water– Research and innovation to support family agriculture– Conservation and use of genetic resources– Development and safe use of new agricultural biotechnologies– Technological innovations for sustainable agriculture– Development of agro-energy without affecting food security

Final Agreements in the Declaration of Montevideo 2008

• Proposals to be implemented :– Strengthen and consolidate FORAGRO as the mechanism for

dialogue and coordination between the different stakeholders, – Promote the development of a programme on institutional

innovations for research, extension and technological innovation

– Consolidate the articulation among regional programmes and networks

– Improve investment levels in technological R&I in the region and strengthen FONTAGRO

– Intensify the links of the Region with GFAR and with other Regional Fora,

– Promote a renewed agenda of the CGIAR in LAC and new strategic partnerships with the Centers on priority topics.

Line of Action 2: Support for a Regional R&D Agenda

• State of the art in regard to four of the priority topics: Technological Innovation and Agribusiness Conservation and Plant Genetic Resource Management Agro-biotechnologies Sustainable Natural Resource Management

• New projects FORAGRO/IICA-GFAR negotiated and/or initiated or developed

Family Agriculture and Technological Innovation Information management for agricultural R&D: indicators,

successful cases and sensitization strategy for LAC GPP Linking Farmers to Markets: Successful cases in LAC

Line of Action 3: Capacity building and exchange of experiences

• Paper on “Concepts, policies and guidelines for the implementation of institutional innovations in agricultural research”

• “International Seminar on Institutional Innovations: Hemispheric and National Perspectives”, held in Uruguay

• Workshop on “Intellectual Property Rights”

Line of Action 4: Prospective Studies

• Periodic analyses of the performance of, and outlook for, agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean and implications for R&D

• Report on “Performance of Latin American and Caribbean Agriculture from the Technological Perspective” shared through:• Technological Forum and Ministerial Meeting, Guatemala 2007• Board meetings of the PROCIs; • Part of the State of and Outlook for Agricultural and Rural Life in

the Americas biannual report prepared by IICA.• PCCMCA (Central American Cooperative Program for the

Improvement of Crops and Livestock)• Websites, …

Line of Action 5: Information Management for R&D

• Information sharing on science and technology through the continued operation of

• Advocacy and institutional policies on information management for research and innovation• Paper on advocacy strategy on IM for R&D• Publication on success stories in the use of

ICTs for Ag R&I• Basic profile of technical information

management in NARIs in LAC

Line of Action 6: Presence and lobby for R&D in relevant fora

• Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture, Guatemala 2007 • ERA/ARD: Member of the SAG Group. Maribor, Slovenia,

and Madrid, Spain, 2007• CGIAR Executive Committee, ExCo, in Madrid and

Rome,2007, Ottawa and Lisboa, 2008• GFAR :

– Executive Committees– Triennial Conference, New Delhi, 2006– Statutory Meetings in Washington, 2006. and Beijing, 2007– Strategic Planning and Business Plan, Egypt 2007

• IAASTD ---World Bank: Montepellier, Costa Rica, 2006, Washington, 2007, and Johannesburg, 2008

• Meetings of INIAs Ibero-American, in INTA Argentina and INIA Uruguay, 2007; and Aragon, Spain, 2008

• PIA Meeting , CIRAD/INRA, Paris, France, 2008

Line of Action 7: Support for the Regional R&D System

• PROCIS: • New cooperation agreements• Priorities (redefinition, updating)• Thematic networks or platforms in operation• Formulation and execution of specific

cooperative research projects

• FONTAGRO• 56 regional research projects estimated at

US$ 15.7 millions• Important benefits according to impact

evaluation in different dimensions (economic, environmental, social and institutional)

• Recent call for competitive projects on adaptation on climate change

PROCITROPICOSPROCITROPICOS

PROCISURPROCISUR

SICTASICTAPROCICARIBEPROCICARIBE

PROCIANDINOPROCIANDINO

PROCINORTEPROCINORTE

PROMECAFEPROMECAFE

Priorities Mega Eco-Systems

FORAGRO: Pending tasks

• Strengthen the participation of stakeholders at the different levels of action of the Forum

• Contribute to the rethinking of the Regional System

• Increase influence in political and socioeconomic environments for the valorization of R&I.

• Increase inter-regional articulation within the Americas

• Promote inter-regional articulation in the scope of GFAR

• Funding strategy for proposed actions and for the strengthening of the Technical Secretariat.

Enabling Effective Partnerships

• Centers must work with a wide range of partners to create high-quality research outputs that contribute towards the alleviation of poverty and development of appropriate research institutions in the countries concerned

• Partners should be involved in the strategy development as well as implementation of the research agenda

• A revitalized GFAR would be the most appropriate institutional mechanism to facilitate these interactions. GFAR would enable the Consortium to optimize linkages with CSOs, NGOs private sector and other partners

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Enabling Effective Partnerships

• Conducting research for development requires strong partnerships:- in the definition of the work program- in the performance of research and in obtaining research

outputs and developments impact• GFAR and Regional Fora have a major role to play in this stage

of the process

• A special funding mechanism to support an effective role by GFAR and Regional Fora, be considered as part of the cost of doing research with input from stakeholders, and is better adjusted to the real opportunities and needs of the beneficiaries

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Independent Review of the CGIAR System

• A rebalanced partnership• Fora for CGIAR engagement with NARSs included

Regional and Sub-Regional Organizations and GFAR• At the Center level NARSs remain key partners• More collaboration than competition• NARSs to play a greater role in priority setting and

influencing the research agenda – better understanding of local, issues, needs and priorities

• To work on an equal partner level with NARSs • Strengthened GFAR – the most appropriate institutional

mechanism to organize this process

Thanks !!