This project aims to make it easier for agricultural research, extension and education systems to adapt to key issues like the globalization of agricultural trade, the degradation of natural resources, climate change, knowledge-based agriculture, the changing nature of societal needs, and the increasingly important roles played by the private sector and CSOs.

Major goals include (i) ensuring a better balance between bio-physical research-based approaches to boosting agricultural productivity and those that concentrate on inter-disciplinary and problem solving approaches; and, (ii) ensuring better links between education, research, and innovation and knowledge communication efforts. Again this requires regional and global dialogues for consensus-building and advocacy that the Forum is well placed to help build.