Integrating food security issues into agricultural research

The mandate to develop these guidelines resulted from the World Food Summit Plan of Action. Objective 3.4 of Commitment Three in the Summit's Plan of Action stated that "governments, in collaboration with the international and scientific community, in both private and public sectors, as appropriate, will strengthen national research systems in order to develop coordinated programmes in support of research to promote food security". In identifying how this might be done, FAO, the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program (SANREM CRSP) of the University of Georgia, USA and the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) facilitated a dialogue among members of the international research and development community.

An electronic consultation was hosted among a core group of about 30 experts representing a diversity of stakeholders to identify expected outcomes, a conceptual framework, key issues and organizational aspects. The electronic consultation was followed by an electronic conference that brought together 400 individuals from 50 countries representing NARS researchers, policy-makers, administrators, non-governmental organizations, scientists, producer groups and representatives of regional and international organizations and the donor community.

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