Built on the challenge ‘to give voice to small farmers’, the International Farming Systems Association (IFSA) focuses on farming systems research to help smallholder development in the tropics. In 1992, the IFSA Europe Group was formed and mandated with organizing a bi-annual European Symposium. These symposia are a platform for dialogue between scientists and practitioners from a wide range of theoretical background and methodological focus. At the 2014 Symposium in Berlin, IFSA Europe chose to re-examine farming systems research in the context of global issues and widen its influence to a larger audience, aiming to a greater involvement in advising European decision makers about the future of agriculture and to help them take a broader view on the diversity of farming practices and what it means to those on the rest of this planet. In this context, Kwesi Atta-Krah, Director of Humidtropics, and Patrick Dugan, Director of Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS), were invited to participate in the Symposium, where two Global Forum Sessions were devoted to the initiation of a collaboration between CGIAR researchers, with particular emphasis on the CGIAR Systems Research Programs, and the farming system community, represented by the European IFSA.
The IFSA Global Forum Sessions
Patrick Dugan presented the farming systems approach in the CGIAR reform as a way to achieve Intermediary Development Outcomes. In his presentation, he traced the process of the CGIAR reform, and how it has ended up with the 15+1 CGIAR Research Programs, giving emphasis to the particular issue of the Systems Research Programs, as well as increasing systems thinking within the broader CGIAR. The new and expanded environment of ‘systems approaches’ was also highlighted as part of the new developments in CGIAR research. Richard Bawden, Prof. Emeritus at the University of Western Sydney talked about 50 years of reflections on opportunities for systemic transformations. He noted that there was resurgence of systems thinking and a renewed recognition of the importance of systems research approaches. Yet, he expressed his fear that there might be more people talking about systems research than really doing Systems Research; he indicated that ‘systematic’ aspects appear to be receiving more emphasis in research, rather than the more important ‘systemic’ dimensions in systems research. Short presentations were also given by Ray Ison (Open University, UK & Monash University, Melbourne) on ‘systems thinking: a diversity of approaches and epistemologies’, by N. Sriskandarajah (SLU, Uppsala) on ‘systems research and practitioners’ engagement’, and by Hatem Belhouchette (CIHEAM and INRA-UMR System, Montpellier) on ‘modeling for learning and action’.
Conclusions of the IFSA Global Forum 2014
The outcome of the Global Forum Sessions was presented at the Closing Plenary by Bernard Hubert, President, Agropolis International, and by Kwesi Atta-Krah. The following were the key conclusions:
- Establish an informal contact group between IFSA-Europe and the CGIAR Research Programs’Â communities to enhance collaboration and knowledge exchange;
- Members of the IFSA were invited to participate in the Humidtropics Integrated Systems Conference organized in partnership with AAS and Dryland Systems at IITA Headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria on October 7-10, 2014;
- Design an agenda for PhD training courses and capacity building seminars to clarify what a ‘systemic’ approach means and how it can be implemented in farming systems research, beyond mere ‘systematic’ and ‘participatory’ approaches;
- Organize a follow-up IFSA-CGIAR Global Forum at the IFSA 2016.
Additional details can be found on the IFSA Europe Group website.