Global Forum on Agricultural Research

“Information and communication management and agricultural research for development and innovation”

The global consultation on “Information and Communication Management (ICM) and agricultural research for development and innovation”, organized jointly by Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) and ICRISAT (CGIAR), has taken place at the campus of ICRISAT in Patancheru near the city of Hyderabad in India, during 7-11 December 2009.

The purpose of this international consultation was to generate ICM inputs for the upcoming Global Consultation on Agricultural Research for Development (April 2010), to support the processes related to the FAO programme on Coherence in Information for ARD (CIARD), and to share experience and insights in ICM with APAARI and CGIAR partners.  A limited number of presentations were made while more time had been available for discussions facilitated by senior experts.

EFITA’s President Prof. Alexander B. Sideridis was present to this very important meeting and announced EFITA's initiatives among which: (i) The establishment of an International Master of Science course on ICT hot topics in Agriculture and (ii) the new EFITA's project proposal on the design and implementation of the World Directory for Agricultural Research (WDAR).