This page contains information about SARD-related activities and events at FAO and around the globe for the coming six months. Useful links are given in the sidebar to the right and an events calendar is provided at the end of the page.

Period covered: 26 June 2006 – 10 December 2006

For news and events from SARD-Mountain go to: http:// www.fao.org/sard/en/sardm/news/1240/index.html

Coming soon

Launch of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Series
Look for the first booklet – SARD and Agricultural Workers – on these pages and in the FAO bookshop later this month.

Canadian Resource Facility Manager to join FAO-SARD team in August 2006
The Resource Facility is a key component of the SARD Initiative. It is a web-based information-sharing facility, coordinated by FAO and available to all governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. The Government of Canada (together with FAO and the Governments of Norway and Italy) has been an important contributor to this component since the SARD Initiative was launched. Starting from August 2006, Canada is providing the fulltime services of a senior officer based in Ottawa for one year and possibly more, to further develop and manage this facility in collaboration with the FAO-SARD team and government and civil society stakeholders.

For more information about contents of the Resource Facility, go to: Resource materials
(Contributed by SARD INITIATIVE)

SARD Initiative Workshop on Cultural Indicators, 11 September 2006
This workshop is being organized by the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) – the Major Group Focal Point for Indigenous Peoples – with the support of the FAO SARD Team and financial contributions from the Government of Norway and the Christensen Fund. It will bring together representatives of indigenous peoples worldwide to evaluate the impact of agricultural and rural development practices on SARD, from their perspective.

For more information about the cultural indicators theme, go to: Major Group Focal Point for Indigenous Peoples, World Food Day 2005 Theme: Agriculture and Intercultural Heritage, and Livelihoods Support Programme Working Group on Cultural Indicators
(Contributed by SARD INITIATIVE)

Strategic Planning and Mapping Meeting for Major Group Focal Points, dates and place to be announced
During a videoconference call on 10 May that linked members of the FAO-SARD team and Major Group Focal Points (MGFPs), options for strengthening civil society participation in the SARD Initiative were reviewed, and it was decided to convene a strategic planning meeting of Major Group Focal Points later in the year. At this meeting, participants will map out the current activities and strengths of civil society organizations with an interest in SARD, and develop a strategic work plan covering CSO support to national implementation and preparations for CSD 16 and CSD 17 in 2008 and 2009. The meeting, to be hosted by Heifer International, is tentatively planned for November 2006.

CFS Special Forum: Midterm Review of Progress in Implementing the World Food Summit Plan of Action, 20-22 September 2006
The Plan of Action adopted by the World Food Summit in 1996 calls for a midterm review of progress in reducing the prevalence of chronic food insecurity to be held in 2006, within the framework of the regular session of the Committee on World Food Security in that year. CFS/2004 confirmed its intention to convene a Special Forum to conduct this review during its 30th Session in September 2006.

For more information about plans for civil society participation at the CFS Special Forum, go to: International Alliance Against Hunger (FAO)