At the recent G20 International Conference on Agriculture Research for Development held in Montpellier, France, G20 agricultural research experts and international organizations (including the CGIAR Consortium) came together to discuss ways of improving cooperation and coordination in their bid to improve global food security.
The CGIAR Consortium Board Chair, Carlos Pérez del Castillo, addressed the high-level agricultural meeting. “Food security for our world is in a state of urgency”, he stated and outlined the need for increased funding, and stronger co-operation and co-ordination in agricultural research for development. Read the full text of his speech here.
He also talked about the CGIAR “research muscle” in an AlertNet article: “G20 focus on small farmers could improve world food security – experts”.
“We are not going to have global-scale research for development without appropriate scientific partnerships” said Anne-Marie Izac, Chief Science Officer of the CGIAR Consortium, during a SciDevNet interview: “G20 nations turn to agricultural research for food security”.
Another AlertNet post entitled: “Climate Conversations – To feed the world, keep farmers at the center of G20 agenda” outlines the challenges faced by farmers and suggests a course of action.
Participants agreed that researchers NEED to work in partnership with the stakeholders if their work is to have the necessary impact. Find out what the CGIAR is doing in response to this need in this Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation post.
Following the conference, the Agreement establishing the CGIAR Consortium as an international organization was signed by the French Minister for Cooperation, Mr. Henri de Raincourt, and by H.E. Sem Laszlo Trocsanyi, Ambassador of Hungary. Read the full report in English or French.
Related posts:
Letter of Intent with CRAI signed on 13th September
Closing speech by Henri de Raincourt, French Minister for Cooperation (excerpts)