Post
harvest (Global Post Harvest System)
One of the priority areas that have been included in the GFAR Business Plan and in the GFAR Secretariat's Program of Work for 2001-2003 is that of the development of research partnerships in international and underutilized commodity chains. As part of these activities, the GFAR Secretariat is collaborating with the Agro-Industries and Post-Harvest Management Service (AGSI) of FAO, in the organization of a "Global Post-Harvest Symposium" that will take place in April of 2002 in Rome, Italy. The general objective of this Symposium is to develop a vision and a plan of action that will form the basis of a new Global Initiative on Post-harvest Technology (GIPHT).
In short, the outlook of the symposium is to generate an international focus and awareness of the breadth of the post-harvest sector as a means of contributing to socio-economic development in developing countries; to explore and highlight technical and policy issues which impact upon growth and change within the sector; to develop a vision and a plan of action that will form the basis of a new Global Initiative on Post-Harvest Technology and to solicit funding in support of this Initiative.
The preparation of this global symposium is being made through a process that has three phases:
a) January through May
2001: The elaboration of sub-regional background papers and the organization of
the Regional Workshops that will be prepared by a Regional Consultant in each
Region of the five Regional Fora that constitute GFAR, on the status of the
post-harvest sector. This Regional Workshop will be carried out under the
coordination of the respective Regional Forum (AARINENA, APAARI, CAC, FARA and
FORAGRO), or by an organization in each region that may be selected for this
purpose.
b) April through August 2001:
Funds will be made available to appoint a regional consultant that can
play the role of regional technical coordinator, who should be a specialist in
post-harvest management. Funds will
also be made available to appoint sub-regional consultants to prepare the
background papers on the post-harvest situation in each sub-region, according to
a common format that has been developed for this purpose. The second phase is constituted by an inter-regional analysis
of the results of these regional needs-assessments and of the pertinent action
proposals, in order to identify the concrete proposals that could be integrated
into the Global Initiative on Post-harvest Technology (GIPHT).
An electronic conference to facilitate this inter-regional dialogue is
being envisaged.
c) September 2001 through February 2002: In this phase the Global Harvest Symposium will be established, and the follow-up action aimed at implementing and operationalizing GIPHT. Support will be provided up to 15-18 "eligible" participants from the different sub-regions and different stakeholder categories, to a regional workshop, which will be organized by each Regional Forum.
The role of the GFAR Secretariat in this joint endeavor with AGSI/FAO is to make sure that the stakeholders in the different regions and sub-regions of the developing world are actively involved in the preparation of this symposium and that its agenda is really driven by the problems and challenges faced by developing countries.
First International Conference on Biotechnology - Application
for the Arid Region (ICBAAR), Kuwait 9-11 April 2001.
AARINENA is one of the sponsors of this conference, which is going to be held in Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait City from 9-11 April 2001.
The aim of this conference is to introduce regional experience in biotechnology and review progress and future plans. Identify possibilities for enhancing agricultural output of plants and animals emphasizing on application for arid regions.
Exchanging views and experiences in biotechnology among scientists, professionals and decision makers will be fruitful, especially who are involved in carrying out, managing or funding research. For more information please visit the web site: www.ksir.edu.kw/event/icbaar.html