Farmers, academia, governments, businesses, research organizations, civil society, and NGOs from around the world met to discuss current actions, shape the alliance and analyze how to best promote CSA.
The first Annual Forum of the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA) was held in Rome from June 14-17, focusing on the theme of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in action. Farmers, academia, governments, businesses, research organizations, civil society, and NGOs from around the world met to discuss current actions, shape the alliance and analyze how to best promote CSA.
A panel on CSA in Costa Rica and Vietnam was held, and speakers from IICA, CATIE and the Ministry of Agriculture of Costa Rica answered questions about advances in the region. In addition, a series of panel discussions, roundtables, exchanges, working group meetings and side events were held on diverse topics, including finance, knowledge management, best practices, partnerships and country case studies. Representatives of the ministries of agriculture from Mexico and Costa Rica and from the Caribbean Farmers Network presented their perspectives during various sessions.
The event provided a space for networking and exchange, promoting learning across regions, sectors and stakeholders. During the Strategic Committee meeting, Ms. Mi Nguyen, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome was elected as a new co-chair of GACSA. The Alliance’s three working groups (Knowledge, Investment, Enabling Environment) presented summaries of what they achieved in 2016, and developed work plans for 2017. The event closed with a call to action by the president of the World Farmers’ Organisation, Evelyn Nguleka.
Still in its infancy, the GACSA will continue to develop its direction and vision, shaped by the stakeholders active participation in the process.
For more information and photos of the event, see http://www.fao.org/gacsa/annual-forum/en/
*This post appears in the IICA Delegation in the USA Newsletter – May- June 2016
