Agriculture is a sector that holds great promise for pro-poor economic growth. Economic growth is a key success factor for reducing undernourishment, but it has to be inclusive and provide opportunities for improving the livelihoods of the poor. Enhancing the productivity and incomes of smallholder family farmers is the key to progress.1 In fact, agriculture is around four times more effective at raising incomes among the poor than other sectors.2 It has been amply demonstrated that enhancing the ability of farming communities to connect with knowledge banks, networks and institutions via information and communication technologies (ICTs) has improved their productivity, profitability, food security and employment opportunities substantially.3 Agriculture also has significant linkage in its operations with other related sectors such as rural development, natural resource management, banking, insurance, media, governance, transportation and logistics management. Individuals, public enterprises and the private sector all have important roles to play in the agriculture sector. Agriculture in this document is used in a broader sense and covers crop cultivation, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries, forestry and other associated activities. The agriculture sector faces many challenges posed by climate change, loss of biodiversity, drought, desertification, increase in food prices and inefficient supply chains. The sector is increasingly becoming knowledge-intensive, and the availability of the right information, at the right time, in the right format, and through the right medium, influences and affects the livelihoods of many stakeholders involved in agriculture and related fields. The availability, accessibility and applicability of agricultural research outputs are keys to addressing a range of issues related to food security.