Experiences with foresight works show that foresight can provide ways for stakeholders to influence research, innovation and policies related to agricultural development. However, the inclusion of the voices of stakeholders - particularly resource-poor farmers - in foresight has been so far limited. Is it a question of scale? Is it easier to include stakeholders when doing foresight at local or national level compared to foresight at regional/global level? Is it a question of cost? Visit the conference site for more information: http://www.egfar.org/gcard-2012 Les expériences dans le domaine de la prospective montrent que la prospective peur offrir des voies aux différentes parties prenantes pour influencer la recherche, l’innovation et les politiques relatives au développement agricole. Cependant, l’inclusion des voies des différentes parties prenantes, notamment des producteurs les moins dotées en ressources, dans la prospective a été jusqu’ici limitée. S’agit-il d’une question d’échelle ? Est-il plus facile d’intégrer les différents acteurs lors la réalisation de la prospective au niveau local ou national que par rapport à sa réalisation niveau régional ou international ? S’agit-il d’une question de coût ? Visitez le site web de la GCARD2 pour plus d'informations: http://www.egfar.org/gcard-2012

1. Breakout session F3.1 Improving Foresight through Equitable Partnerships
- Briefing Paper –
Context – the problems being addressed
Experiences with foresight works show that foresight can provide ways for stakeholders to influence
research, innovation and policies related to agricultural development. However, the inclusion of the
voices of stakeholders - particularly resource-poor farmers - in foresight has been so far limited. Is it a
question of scale? Is it easier to include stakeholders when doing foresight at local or national level
compared to foresight at regional/global level? Is it a question of cost? Is the cost of more inclusion
limiting multi-sectorial partnership? Is it a question of funding? Do international financial partners/
donors see value in funding foresight studies and meeting the required costs? Is it a question of
method? Are some foresight approaches more appropriate for inclusion of stakeholders? How can we
improve together the foresight processes ... directly integrating the diverse views of farmers and other
stakeholders on specific problems, so that important issues are examined through multiple ‘lenses’?
How can envisioning future needs, be made more inclusive?
This is the problem this session intends to address through building upon successful experiences and
lessons learned from existing partnership practices in foresight. This session offers a space for
proposing collective actions participants are willing to contribute in order to make foresight more
inclusive at various levels.
Current activities presented and discussed in the session
The Chair will open the Session linking it to Session F1 and reminding the participants that in parallel,
other colleagues are dealing with the question of capacity development for improved foresight - a
condition also related with the establishment of successful partnership in foresight. The Chair will
briefly indicate the expected outcomes and how the session will unfold.
Presentations: Dr Ruz will highlight the partnership dimension in the foresight work commissioned
by PROCISUR. Dr. Vervoort will present how partnership in foresight developed to include the voices
of multiple stakeholders in the frame of activities of the CCAFS scenarios for East Africa. Dr.
Mruthyunjaya will share with the participants how foresight-based policy dialogues have made
possible the voices of farmers to shape prioritisation of agricultural research in South Asia.
Synthesis: equitable partnership for improved foresight: Mrs Zwart will further elaborate from these
cases and present the synthesis of current partnership using the results of the inventory of around 50
cases, including works done for the GCARD1, in particular indicating the weak inclusion of specific
sectors such as farmers, NGOs and CSOs.
Discussion: How can foresight create a voice for smallholder farmers in shaping priorities and
innovation: The Chair and the facilitator will conduct the discussion with the objective of enticing
participants to offer contribution to collective actions in order to balance partnership in future foresight
work through the active presence of the various sectors in particular small farmers, NGOs and CSOs.
Responding panellists from Farmer organisation, NGO and donor organisation will provide reflections
on practical actions to improve the inclusion of smallholders view through partnership.

2. Intended outcomes
 A set of proposed collective actions agreed to make foresight considerations better targeted on
the livelihood needs of smallholder producers, through their equitable participation in
forward-looking, anticipatory research and analysis.
Essential Commitments to collective actions in 2012-2014
i. With existing resources
 Actions taken in on-going foresight works to strengthen inclusion of farmers’ voice.
ii. With additional support
 Regular opportunities for national and regional actors to participate in foresight processes at
various levels.
iii. With specific large scale programme investment
 Establishment of a regular arena for dialogue between foresight practitioners and farmer
organisations, NGOs and CSOFOs A regular civil society foresight dialogue arena;
 A collective multi-disciplinary multi-sector foresight project on the Farmers of the Future.