New global partnership to support info and knowledge system

New Delhi, Nov 9 (UNI) Four major international institutions have committed themselves to strengthening their collaboration in the area of information and knowledge exchange in agricultural research for development for the benefit of the farming community around the world.

The ultimate goal of these institutions -- Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and Technical centre for agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) -- is to ensure that stakeholders benefitting from agricultural science and technology are better informed, so that they make better decisions and can develop policies based on evidence.

These leading organisations have formed a partnership to create synergies between their own programmes, and to maximize their support to national institutions and other stakeholders in information and communication management. Broader multi-stakeholder involvement is now underway, and is leveraging existing programmes and activities such as the international AGRIS network.

Briefing reporters at a press conference at the ongoing 3-day GFAR Triennial Conference here today, GFAR Chairman Dr Adel ElBeltagy said, ''This partnership initiative is focusing on building capacities at national level to establish information networks and systems, working towards a web-based network of public collections of institutional publications and literature on agricultural science and technology.'' New international partnership is to harness the potential power of information technology to enhance knowledge exchange which is a key challenge facing the global agricultural science community working to support food security.

Representative Task Forces have been formed and are working to develop common standards, guidelines, and training resources which are being shared with institutions working in agricultural research for development, Dr ElBeltagy added.

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