Five YPARD delegates from Central and Eastern Europe are heading to The European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD) annual meeting which brings together 57 representatives of 27 different countries and various agricultural organizations including AGRINATURA, FARA, FANRPAN, CIRAD, EAFF, YPARD and others. The meeting aims at paving the way for Young Professionals to engage in discussions on agricultural research for development. Indeed, they will be giving the space and opportunity to share their visions in the EFARD's 2016 Annual Technical and Business Meeting, on the 29th and 30th November 2016.
EFARD’s goal is to strengthen the contribution of European Agricultural Research for Development to poverty alleviation, food security, and sustainable development in developing countries by providing a platform for strategic dialogue among European stakeholder groups. It ultimately promotes research partnerships between European and Southern research communities. EFARD follows the principles of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and contributes to GFAR’s Global Plan of Action, in partnerships with the other regional fora of GFAR.
Future of User-Led Research and Innovation Partnership
As EFARD’s mission is to promote more effective, demand-driven and impact-focused research and innovation through building partnerships, particularly with developing countries, this year’s annual technical meeting will provide a platform for reflection and learning, by showcasing the experience of ongoing policy and programme initiatives. This includes, in particular, the PAEPARD programme, and lessons learned from the ULP process, innovative AR4D funding mechanisms and innovation partnerships between Europe and Africa. EFARD will also seek to engage more with Eastern and Central Europe organizations and issues.
Therefore, the theme for the 2016 EFARD annual meeting is the “Future of User-Led Research and Innovation Partnerships”. It will look at the perspectives of European AR4D stakeholders and how best to embed and up-scale this approach for achieving the sustainable development goals through North-South research and development cooperation, involving researchers and non-researchers. It will especially consider Eastern and Central European perspectives.
Expected outcomes
- EFARD position on the way forward for Users’-Led research, innovation partnerships and innovative funding mechanisms for strengthening North-South partnerships in the pursuit of greater research and development impact endorsed
- EFARD members’ engagement, notably from Eastern and Central Europe enhanced
- Draft work plan for 2016-2017 and revitalised EFARD management team and membership updated and approved.
Youth at the EFARD meeting
Five YPARDians are invited to attend the EFARD meeting, together with YPARD Europe coordinator, Libuka Valeová. They will come up with their youth aspirations and visions and they will share their views via the following presentations:
- Monika Varga, YPARD Hungary: Process model based decision support for multi-stakeholder water-food-energy-ecosystem networks - harmonization of local interests with global sustainability
- Ivana Radic Jean, YPARD Serbia: Reinventing networking and collective action in the Balkans: the case of Slow Food in Velika Plana, central Serbia
- Davit Gogilashvili, YPARD Georgia: Regional Development Association - Transforming Lives to Better
- Zrinka Filipovi? Dermit, YPARD Croatia: Capacity building for youth in organic agriculture: the case of EkoBiz project in Split, Split-Dalmatia County
- Anudari Enkhtor, forthcoming YPARD Mongolia: Increasing youth engagement through YPARD in Mongolia
Every year, a YPARD representative attends the EFARD annual meeting but on this occasion there will be not one but five YPARD delegates having not only active participation but also representing young agricultural professionals from Eastern and Central Europe. We are delighted to have such active country representatives and can't wait to hear more from these fellow YPARDians and their output regarding the event.
Link to the meeting agenda : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B539ipqWMOBvdVNkaXNiMGR2c28/view
Picture credit: YPARD