15th Annual Meeting of the Neuchâtel Initiative organized by the Research and Extension Division of FAO

The 15th Annual meeting of the Neuchâtel Initiative (NI) will be held from 18 - 22 September 2009 in the Domus Pacis Conference Center in Santa Maria degli Angeli (near Assisi, Italy). The meeting will be organized by the Research and Extension Division (please see their website here: http://www.fao.org/nr/research/res-home/en/), who is active in NI since its creation 15 years ago. 

The Objectives of the NI meeting are:

• Review the process of the MOAAS proposal
• Review the role and coordination needs in extension to deliver development impacts at scale in the new framework of Agricultural Research and Development
• Evolution of NI: Towards a Global Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (GFAAS)
• Elaborate a joint program for 2010
• Exchange, learn and network

A preparatory meeting took place in Steinfurth/Germany on 23 and 24 July 2009 to discuss a renewed international effort to promote a global think tank for agricultural advisory services (AAS) in which the following organizations participated: African Forum of Agricultural advisory Services (AFAAS), Swiss Association for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas Agridea, Danish Agricultural Advisory Services (DAAS), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR), German Development Cooperation GTZ, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and the World Bank. A proposal for the global think tank on AAS, tentatively called Global Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (GFAAS), is in the process of being developed and will be discussed during the 15th Annual meeting of NI. 

The draft programme can be found below:

Draft Programme for the  Annual Consultative Meeting of the Neuchâtel Initiative
Santa Maria degli Angeli, 18 – 22 September 2009


Friday, 18.09.2009: Arrival of participants 
19.00 – 21.00 Welcome cocktail at Domus Pacis Assisi; and Dinner at Domus Pacis Assisi 

Saturday, 19.09.2009: Excursion 
08.00 – 17.00 Full day excursion for NI and ESEE participants
Evening: Dinner at Domus Pacis Assisi 

Sunday, 20.09.2009:  Opening of NI meeting, MOAAS proposal 
9.00 – 10.30 a.m. Morning session 1: Opening, Programme, Link with the ESEE meeting
11.00 – 12.30 p.m. Morning Session 2: AFAAS & MOAAS; state-of-the art of the process; next steps
Lunch
2.00 – 3.30 p.m. Afternoon session 1: Extension to meet new global needs, prepared by GFAR; Presentation of GFAAS proposal and formal launch of inception phase
4.00 – 5.30 p.m. Afternoon session 2: Sharing of experiences of NI members
Evening: Visit of Assisi and dinner in a choice of restaurants 

Monday, 21.09.2000: NI in the future
8.30 – 10.30 a.m. Morning session 1: Expectations and challenges for GFAAS
11.00 – 12.30 p.m. Morning Session 2: Structure and functioning of GFAAS
Lunch
2.00 – 3.30 p.m. Afternoon session 1: Coordination & collaboration with GFAR, GDPRD and other programs & initiatives
4.00 – 5.30 p.m. Afternoon session 2: Sharing of experiences of NI members
Evening: Meeting dinner hosted by FAO 

Tuesday, 22.09.2009
8.30 – 10.30 a.m. Morning session 1: Decision on functioning of GFAAS and next steps
11.00 – 12.30 p.m. Morning Session 2: Program for 2010: Host of next meeting; common agenda
Closing of the meeting
Lunch
2.00 p.m. Departure for Rome

For further information, please address correspondence to Ms Magdalena Blum at FAO, Research and Extension Division, e-mail: Magdalena.Blum@fao.org or visit www.neuchatelinitiative.net