CGIAR @ Committee on World Food Security

  • Date
    15.10.19
  • Location
    Food and Agriculture Organization, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy

Partnering for impact: a research and development response to SDG2

CGIAR and FAO partnership in agricultural research and development for sustainable food and nutrition security and improved livelihoods

The complex, systemic, multi-scale and cross-sectoral dimensions of the challenges facing agri-food systems require innovative solutions, and holistic approaches through the use of multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) to achieve the sustainable development goals. The Sustainable Development Goal 17 “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”, recognizes multi-stakeholder partnerships as important vehicles for mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies and financial resources to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, particularly developing countries. Partnerships relevant to agricultural research for development is defined as “a sustained multi-organizational relationship with mutually agreed objectives and an exchange or sharing of resources or knowledge for the purpose of generating research outcomes (new knowledge or technology) or fostering innovation (use of new ideas or technology) for practical ends”.

An example of a highly successful multi-stakeholder partnership is that between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network (CGIAR). The FAO and CGIAR history of collaboration dates back to the 1960s.  Both FAO and CGIAR share a similar vision of a world free of hunger, malnutrition and poverty and environmental degradation. Over the last fifty years, the collaboration has expanded and diversified, spanning from governance to programmatic collaboration. FAO technical departments/units and CGIAR Centers and programs have been working with public, private and civil society organizations at national level to co-develop, promote and disseminate and scale-up innovative technologies and practices, and strengthening capacities to innovate of national research and innovation systems. FAO and CGIAR also play a key role in international fora on integrated agricultural research for development such as the global conference on agricultural research for development (GCARD) and the global forum on agricultural research and innovation (GFAR).

The aim of the side event is to showcase success stories and demonstrate impacts at scale. More specifically the event pursues the following objectives: a) exchange lessons from successes and failures, b) identify innovative approaches and mechanisms for effective multi-stakeholder partnerships to accelerate the delivery of goods and services in the research and development continuum.