With this month's update, the GFAR Secretariat would like to extend its warmest wishes for the festive season and the New Year to all our Partners in GFAR—the only multi-stakeholder global forum on agricultural research and innovation. May 2017 bring us all continued success as we work together, through our collective advocacy and actions, to shape the future of agriculture and food and their role in achieving sustainable development.
The excitement is building as we prepare to soon announce the composition of the new Steering Committee of GFAR, which will meet in February 2017. The members, representing all sectors, are being selected by the different constituencies of partners themselves. We are now tallying the votes for the final seats and look forward to shortly announcing the representatives who will set out the programme of work for GFAR and be each responsible for representing and engaging with their constituencies.
As we embark on 2017, we also look forward to the continued growth of Partner organizations making up this truly global forum—now numbering 400! If you haven't already registered on behalf of your organization, do so today! GFAR is a wholly voluntary movement and partnership in GFAR carries no legal commitment or financial obligation. To register as a Partner, simply enter your contact details at http://www.gfar.net/about-us/be-a-partner
Finally,we remind you to check out the GFAR 2015-2016 Interim Progress Report and reflect on what we have all accomplished together. Compiled for GFAR's primary donor, the European Union, the Report summarizes the many outputs and outcomes that you, the Partners who make up GFAR, have achieved through your collective actions and with the EU's invaluable support over the last year.
The Report can be viewed and downloaded HERE.
GFAR is an open and inclusive movement for change, open to all who share in our common purpose of advocating for, and catalyzing Collective Actions to strengthen and transform agri-food research and innovation systems, so that they are more effective in sustainable development. 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.