2nd GFAR 2003 Conference

Sharing Knowledge with Farmers

for Sustainable Development

Dakar, Senegal, 20 May 2003 – Worldwide farmers are stressing the importance of sharing the knowledge of agricultural science and technology with the key players: farmers. An IFAP delegation led by Chebet Maikut (Uganda), Chairman of the IFAP Committee on Science and Technology, and David King, IFAP Secretary General, is representing farmers during GFAR 2003, the 2nd World Conference of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research, being held in Dakar 20-24 May.

During the conference, farmers will propose an agenda on international agricultural research that meets their concerns on science and technology. “Farmers need access to the fruits of scientific and technological knowledge in order to ensure the economic viability and sustainability of their farms,” claimed David King, IFAP Secretary General. “Moreover, farmers are concerned that research is being increasingly controlled by large private companies which protect their knowledge with patents. This has to change because without the sharing of knowledge, worldwide agriculture cannot meet the goals of reducing hunger and poverty by half by 2015, and the environmental goals of using water more efficiently in agricultural sector,” stressed IFAP farmers. Farmers are aware of the views and concerns of the general public concerning farming practices, and they want to show their willingness in meeting the general public expectations, but scientific and technological knowledge is crucial for that.

Farmers support GFAR as a platform for multistakeholder dialogue on agricultural research, and will work to ensure that the GFAR conference focuses on the real needs of farmers as they strive to meet the challenges of doubling food production over the next 25 years in harmony with the environment.

The IFAP delegation counts people from many different countries including Argentina, Fiji, India, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia