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Date
2017-12-18T10:00:00

The 2017 Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (GACSA) Annual Forum focused on multi-stakeholder efforts to promote climate-smart agricultural practices that address the agricultural implications of climate change in the diverse regions and ecosystems of the world.
 
Mark Holderness, GFAR Executive Secretary, was invited to deliver the conference-closing remarks. He warned that climate change is already upon us and called for immediate actions, in which all must play their part, to ensure our ability to feed and nourish humanity through resilient and sustainable systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the sector. Using GFAR's collective action principles as a basis, Dr. Holderness called on all those concerned with the future of agriculture to urgently engage with wider society as a collective movement for change, working together through concrete actions to tackle these "wicked” and complex problems that no one can resolve by themselves.

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English
From the GFAR Blog

Season’s Greetings from GFAR Chair Bongiwe Njobe

Collective action – the way of the future!

Dear Friends and Colleagues

Our new GFAR – relaunched in 2016 and further developed by our dynamic Steering Committee in 2017 – is really making an impact as we work together to help to meet the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We live in an increasingly complex and inter-related world that has to contend with new challenges in the face of declining availability of natural and financial resources.  These ‘wicked’ challenges are multi-dimensional, constantly evolving and have numerous stakeholders, causes, symptoms and potential solutions. It follows that responding to them requires institutions that are multifaceted, multilayered and agile.  What has inspired me, coming into this role of GFAR Chair, is recognizing the potential that this unique value of this Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation has to be part of the solutions to the global ‘wicked problems’. I am encouraged by the exciting frameworks and practices to facilitate different stakeholders working together to create change – and in the course of this past year it is clear that we are making change happen!

Over the last year, the number of organizations committing themselves into GFAR has doubled. There are now over 540 organizations and networks directly involved in GFAR’s collective actions – together amounting to many millions of people - and the door is wide open to even more.

As a collective movement for change, and an alliance of many, GFAR can through its many partners, bring diverse capabilities and perspectives together. We will continue to work in an open and inclusive manner to talk about, design and implement collective actions in agreed priority areas. The framework for GFAR’s next 4-year Plan of Work is now being actively developed by your Steering Committee representatives. In 2018, the Partners in GFAR will be shaping the collective actions required within this frame and be able to join into the working groups taking forward each theme together. This requires an increased sense of urgency, true partnership, greater accountability for demonstrable results and visibility of impacts.

GFAR is your forum, you own it, you need to drive it as you are the ones who will making it succeed through your passion and commitment.

We look forward to a very exciting and productive year of collective action in 2018 and, on behalf of the GFAR Executive Committee and Secretariat, I wish you a restful end of year, happy festive holidays and sincere wishes for a reinvigorating 2018 New Year.

With best wishes,

Bongiwe Njobe

GFAR Chair

GFAR Update is a briefing service from the GFAR Secretariat. Our aim is to keep you regularly informed and aware of new initiatives and Collective Actions of the Partners in GFAR around the world, so that these can have greater reach and impact for those we serve - in particular for poor smallholder farmers and consumers.