GFAR Update - Issue #70

Wecome to the GFAR Update! This is our first newsletter of the New Year, packed with news from GFAR Secretariat and Partners from 4th quarter 2018. You can also find selections from the latest Partner Spotlights, and upcoming events and opportunities.

But first, a personal message from Dr. Mark Holderness, whose term as GFAR Executive Secretary has ended on December 31^st, in line with the GFAR Charter. Read his reflection on his 11 years of service and his wishes for the continuing work of GFAR:

Dear Colleagues, Partners, Friends and Family, 

My term as GFAR Executive Secretary has now come to an end, in line with the GFAR Charter. It has been an amazing journey and together we have really made a difference in transforming agri-food research and innovation to better meet the Sustainable Development Goals, with smallholder farmers and rural communities at the centre of such processes.

My heartfelt thanks to the wonderful Secretariat team; to all those who have been involved in GFAR's governance and management over the last decade; to FAO, IFAD, EU, CGIAR and our other funders for their invaluable support over the years; to the 620+ Partner organisations in GFAR, who have put their differences aside and worked together in such exciting new ways; and to my family for putting up with so much over the years. 

It's onto new things for me and seeking new challenges, but I certainly aim to take forward GFAR's vital principles into new forms and applications, wherever they may be needed. GFAR of course continues to go forward, with a new Executive Secretary now being recruited, a new phase of collective actions and as important a job to do as ever.

I wish you all every success in these endeavours.

Sincerely,

Mark Holderness

Read more about Dr. Holderness' leadership of GFAR in the blog post below, and catch up on what GFAR and Partners have been doing. If you missed it, you can also check out the 2017 GFAR Annual Report HERE!