The year 1999 is really the first year in which the Global Forum on Agricultural
Research (GFAR) is initiating its activities. 1998 was mainly a year of organization,
during which extensive consultations were held with the various stakeholders that
participate in the process of establishment of the GFAR. During this time two important
reference documents were prepared, that provided a first general framework for the
activities of the Global Forum. These two documents are: the GFAR Plan of Action 1998-
2000 (December 1997), and an initial Outline Programme of Work 1999-2000, that was
discussed with the GFAR Support Group in the meetings of Rome (February 1998) and
Brasilia (May 1998). These two documents, complemented with the extensive
consultations with stakeholders, have provided the basis for the present Programme of
Work.
Since this is the first operational GFAR Programme of Work that is elaborated,
a first section has been included on the background considerations that led to the
establishment of the Global Forum. The issues analyzed in this first section have already
been presented in previous documents of the Global Forum.1 The reader who is familiar
with these previous documents can go directly to section 2, where the actual content of
the Programme of Work starts. For the reader who is not acquainted with the previous
work that has been done, section 1 provides a good summary of the main considerations
that led to the establishment of the Global Forum.