International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, 7 - 10 March 2006, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

The International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD) was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Brazil. The Conference reviewed agrarian reform and rural development issues worldwide and identified sustainable rural development options that can contribute to reduction of rural poverty and hunger. Documentation from the Conference can be viewed at the ICARRD website.

18th International Farming Systems Association Symposium and Global Learning Opportunity, 31 October-4 November 2005, Rome, Italy.

The International Farming System Association (IFSA) Global Learning Opportunity (GLO) brought together development practitioners, educators, researchers and representatives of farmer and producer organizations, civil society organizations, private business, bilateral and multilateral organizations and development agencies. The purpose was to discuss, analyze and propose more effective government policies, development pathways, strategies and field practices, building on the IFSA inputs to the ECOSOC High Level Segment on Integrated Rural Development in 2003, in order to capture promising opportunities to attain the Millennium Development Goals. Through sharing relevant experiences, success stories and constraints, participants focused on advancing development priorities and policies, mobilizing resources and forming alliances and partnerships, all of which can lead to making a difference to the lives of small holder farmers.

World Food Day – Agriculture and Intercultural Dialogue, 16 October 2005, Rome, Italy

The theme for World Food Day 2005 celebrated the contribution of cultural diversity to the fight against hunger which directly affects 850 million people in the world today. It also promoted the important link between agriculture and culture. Eve Crowley, Chapter 14 Task Manager and Facilitator of the SARD Initiative, gave a World Food Day Speech on the theme "Where would be Agriculture without a Culture" in Cuneo (Friday 14 October), Florence (Sunday 16th October), Venice (Monday 17th October), and Rome (Thursday 1st December).

High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly on the Follow-Up to the Outcome of the Millennium Summit, 14-16 September 2005, New York USA.

In preparation for the high-level plenary, the UN Secretary-General released a report on the event’s modalities, format and organization. Based on these recommendations, a three-day event took place at the commencement of the 60th session of the General Assembly in September 2005. This Millennium + 5 Summit undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made towards the commitments articulated in the UN Millennium Declaration. The event also reviewed progress made in the integrated and coordinated implementation of the outcomes and commitments of the major UN conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields.

Third World Congress on Conservation Agriculture, 3-7 October 2005, Nairobi, Kenya.

The III World Congress on Conservation Agriculture (IIIWCCA) with the theme "Linking Production, Livelihoods and Conservation" was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 3rd to 7th October 2005. It was convened in order to take stock of potential and real contribution of conservation agriculture (CA) in fighting poverty and hunger through improved livelihoods, nutrition and food security. Given the relevance of CA initiatives for sustainable agriculture and rural development, the SARD Initiative participated in the Congress as part of the facilitation team, especially for the session on socio-economic and cultural dimensions of CA adoption and impact. Some of the main socio-economic and cultural constraints to CA adoption are: insecurity of land tenure and the small size of farm holdings; crop livestock interaction whereby free ranging livestock graze on farm plots under CA regardless of the damage they cause to soils and mulching material; attitudes and beliefs, i.e. non-tillage is still seen as a bad farming method and therefore not an option; lack of policy support and problems related to CA technologies particularly some technologies being gender insensitive. Beyond supporting the planning and facilitation of the Congress, the SARD Initiative information kiosks exhibited publications and brochures.

13th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, 11-22 April 2005, New York, USA.

CSD 13 was a “Policy Year” to decide on measures to speed up implementation and mobilize action to overcome obstacles and constraints for the thematic clusters of water, sanitation and human settlements.

19th Session of the FAO Committee on Agriculture, 13-16 April 2005, Rome, Italy.

SARD was an item on the agenda of COAG 19, where governments reviewed a background document on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS), and discussed the way forward for SARD in partnership with civil society. The Committee agreed that the SARD Initiative is an important instrument for fulfilling FAO’s responsibility as UN System Task Manager for WSSD follow-up on implementation of Chapter 14, Agenda 21. It welcomed FAO’s continued support for the SARD Initiative, concurred with the three action areas listed in paragraph 42 of the background document (i.e., sustainable livelihoods, sustainable intensification of integrated production systems, integrated natural resource management) and appreciated the high degree of stakeholder participation. A number of delegates expressed the hope that the scope of the SARD Initiative would be enlarged in due course.

For more information on the topic of SARD Good Practices, go to: Resource materials

International Forum on Parnership for Sustainable Development, 4-6 March 2004, Rome, Italy.

The International Forum on Partnership for Sustainable Development was convened at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy from 4 to 6 March 2004. It was organized by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory, in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA).

The purpose of this Forum was to enhance the contribution of partnerships towards:

the implementation of sustainable development goals and objectives, particularly those related to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and other agreements related to sustainable development;

the development of models of technology transfer and use of innovative financial mechanism.

The Forum discussions provided an important opportunity to identify the essential elements of partnerships for sustainable development and the lessons learned from experience to date, focusing on the following five questions:

1. Is there anything unique about the WSSD partnerships on agriculture, rural development, desertification and land?
2. What have been the major challenges facing these partnerships?
3. Have there been any defining moments that have been critical to progress in the initiatives and what lessons can be drawn from this experience?
4. What do partnerships need in order to form and operate effectively and to be successful in achieving their objectives?
5. How can we assess the results and impacts of partnerships, during the implementation process, individually and jointly?

SARD partnerships were especially discussed by one of the breakout groups that worked on agriculture, rural development and diversification. Among others a main outcome was a better understanding of key elements of good partnership when face with differential power relations.