Harry Palmier represented GFAR in the Steering Committee meeting of GFRAS in Washington (15-16 April 2013).

 

The Steering Committee discussed a number of items including the organization of the External Mid Term Review of GFRAS to be carried out between June and September 2013 by a team of four experts from the Royal Tropical Institute, Netherlands (KIT), the University of Makekere and SNV Burkina Faso.

 

The meeting endorsed a list of names to suggest to the Panel for broadening the interviews to professional and institutions in the research for development community, including FARA, APAARI and FORAGRO. The SC received updates on the activities of the different regional rural advisory services networks: AFAAS, APIRAS, AESA, RELASER, RESCAR; and of the Working Groups particularly on Gender, the development of the “New Extensionist”, Nutrition & Extension, and the Evaluation Initiative.

 

Another important item of discussion was the organization of the GFRAS 4th Annual which will take place in Berlin September 24-26, 2013. The theme will be “The Role of Private Sector and Producer Organizations in Rural Advisory Services”. The GFRAS SC was followed by a seminar on April 17, entitled: “Mobilizing Extension and Advisory Services to Improve Food Security and the Livelihoods of the Rural Poor” How can GFRAS and its members, MEAS, USDA/NIFA, USAID, the World Bank, INGOs, and IFPRI jointly support this?”.