The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA), which took place under the theme ‘driving innovation for an agricultural revolution,' concluded with ministerial discussions on opportunities for agricultural innovation and poverty reduction in Africa.
5 February 2014: The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA), which took place under the theme ‘driving innovation for an agricultural revolution,’ concluded with ministerial discussions on opportunities for agricultural innovation and poverty reduction in Africa.
The event was sponsored by various organizations, including the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). In a keynote speech, Frank Rijsberman, CEO of the CGIAR Consortium, underscored water storage, harvesting and irrigation methods to boost wheat production. He stressed the need for countries in dry regions to invest in agricultural research, and highlighted CGIAR scientific advancements in hybridization, in EverGreen Agriculture and in combatting plant disease. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) moderated an event on e-agriculture innovations, while the Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) participated in a panel on arid farming.
Sessions addressed the challenges of arid agriculture and opportunities for restoring healthy landscapes to increase food security for smallholder farmers. On arid farming, panelists considered private sector engagement, capacity building, and opportunities for impacting decision making processes of local and regional institutions in Africa. Of particular interest was the NGO Revolution meeting, where African NGO leaders analyzed the role of NGOs in advocacy and driving innovation.
GFIA 2014 was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 3-5 February 2014, to showcase sustainable agriculture innovations. [GFIA Website] [CGIAR Keynote Speech] [CGIAR Press Release]