Andrew Ward is a Program Officer in the CGIAR Consortium Office based in Montpellier in France where he has been based since May 2011. He is particularly interested in issues concerned with getting research to fulfill its development potential which starts before the research begins and so links with issues of foresight. Previous to joining the CGIAR he worked on the DFID funded Research into Use programme and previous to that the DFID funded Crop Protection Programme. He tries to maintain a balance of science (social and natural) and development interests.