African Scientists and Farmers To Benefit from Agric Technology

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) have signed an agreement to work together to enhance the capacity of African scientists, development agencies, and farmers to take advantage of new technologies and methodologies to improve African agricultural productivity. In consultation with NEPAD and its members, FARA will identify priority projects and activities for collaboration and integration of African agricultural research for development. In response to the need to streamline or "scale up" various activities at the region, sub-region, and country levels, FARA will involve all its stakeholders. NEPAD will in turn engage the international community, development partners, and multilateral institutions in support of FARA. FARA, which is based in Accra, Ghana, facilitates the coordination and exchange of information among the African Sub-Regional Agricultural Research Organizations (SROs) and their National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) stakeholders. [FARA recently launched a new organizational website, available at http://www.fara-africa.org/ .)