This document discusses foresight at the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR). It outlines GFAR's vision and mission as established at the Constituent Assembly. GFAR aims to strengthen agri-food research systems through multi-stakeholder collective actions. The document notes a lack of inclusion of low-income countries and farmer/civil society organizations in current foresight practices. It proposes establishing a Global Foresight Hub to enhance foresight capacities and engage stakeholders in shaping agricultural research and policy priorities. The Hub would include an operational forward thinking platform, a foresight academy, and policy dialogue platforms. It would support initiatives like the Grassroots Foresight Initiative to empower farmer organizations in foresight and local priority-setting

1. Building the future
together
Robin Bourgeois
GFAR Secretariat
ISPC 12th Meeting
Rome, September 14-16, 2015

2.  Background: GFAR Constituent Assembly
 Foresight at GFAR
 Food for thought: foresight, CGIAR and GFAR
CONTENT

3. The GFAR Constituent Assembly
• Vision: “The Global Forum makes agri-food research
and innovation systems more effective, responsive
and equitable, towards achieving Sustainable
Development outcomes”
• Mission: “Partners in the Global Forum, at national,
regional and international levels, advocate for, and
catalyse Collective Actions that strengthen and
transform agri-food research and innovation
systems”

4. • “A GFAR collective action is a multi-stakeholder programme
of work at national, regional or international level, initiated by
three or more partners and prioritized by the Global Forum,
always including producers and with a particular focus on
women and youth.
• Partners agree to commit and generate resources together, in
actions or advocacy that strengthen and transform agri-food
research and innovation systems towards shared demand-
driven development aims and which add value through their
joint actions.
• The Global Forum’s collective actions and their outcomes must
be publicly recognized as contributing to the objectives of the
Global Forum and the GCARD Road Map. Progress must be
reported and shared with other partners through the Forum.”

5. Why? The state of foresight in AR4D
What do we know: current practices
 Global Futures Studies are more quantitative, less
inclusive
 National Futures Studies are more qualitative, more
inclusive
 Absence of LDCs
 Absence of FOs/CSOs

6. The state of foresight in FARD
New challenges/priorities for agricultural
research and public policies
 The Futures of Food and Nutrition Insecurity
 Who will be farming and how?
 Policies and societal values as drivers of changes
 Produce more vs produce differently
 Consumers’ attitudes and behaviours

7. Foresight at GFAR: the ethics of foresight
 Using the future to change the present to change the
future (going beyond pre-activity to pro-activity)
 Leveling the playing field so that all Partners in GFAR
can engage in shaping research and policies with a
future-oriented perspective
 Engaging Partners in GFAR in building the future
through collective actions

8. Foresight at GFAR: the strategy
Under GFAR MTP Outcome 1: “Farmers and national
stakeholders empowered and informed to better negotiate
their own agricultural futures”
 Output 1: “Operational forward thinking platform
addressing key challenges for the future and related
research priorities”
 Output 2: “Regional foresight capacities enhanced for
greater self-determination”
 Output 3: “Output 1.3 Key future agriculture questions
addressed, leading to national and regional options for
research and policy priorities”
How to do it: The Global Foresight Hub (GFH) is a global hub with the objectives of
developing GFAR constituencies’ capacities to engage in foresight and shape the future

9. The Global Foresight Hub: towards collective action
2013-2015
Output 1.1 Operational forward
thinking platform addressing key
challenges for the future and
related research priorities
Preparation of inputs for the GCARD2 foresight sessions
The series “The Futures of Agriculture” (48 Briefs)
Production of a glossary of terms commonly used in Futures Studies
Output 1.2 Regional foresight
capacities enhanced for greater
self-determination
Foresight prioritised in FARA MLTP; AARINENA strategic foresight
YPARD Foresight Ambassador trained and involved in implemention
Engaging Asia and Pacific young professional in forwards thinking
Developing farmer organisation capacities to engage in foresight
(Grassroots foresight)
Inclusion of foresight in workshops, meetings, conference at various
levels around the world
Output 1.3 Key future agriculture
questions addressed, leading to
national and regional options for
research and policy priorities
Foresight sessions at GCARD2 leading to the grassroots foresight
initiative
Collaboration with CGIAR for the development of foresight capacities
(CIFOR GCS Forest tenure security project and CRP AAS)
Contribution to foresight sessions at CGIAR Integrated Systems
conference
The need to improve foresight:
Foster more exchange among practitioners
Adress regional and sectorial imbalances
Increase interactions with decision makers
The Global Foresight Hub
O1.Forward Thinking Platform
O2. Foresight Academy
O3. Policy dialogue platform

10. The Global Foresight Hub

11. The Grassroots Foresight Initiative in a nutshell
Empowering
farmers’
organisations
through foresight
Farmer-led Bottom-up Actionable
• Farmers as doers
• Capacity building
• Global dialogue
• Local initiatives
• Global priorities
• Local action plans
5 seconds
15 seconds
45 seconds
GFI in …
So far: INHERE in Indian North Himalayan region, PAKISAMA in the Philippines South of Palawan Island, API in Indonesia Boru
community of Flores Island, CNOP in Cameroun in the Gamboma region, CNOP in Gabon in the Mtou region and CNOP republic of
Congo in the Nkolmefou region. Aiming at more in Eastern Africa, Western Africa and LAC. Pending on resources

12. Food for thought

13. Where foresight fits: content
“Agri-food system
Programs”
“Global integrating
programs”
Provide new options
Respond to challenges
Identify new challenges
Assess new options
Strengthening foresight in the CGIAR
Identify new challenges
Identify new options
Respond to challenges
Provide new options
Identify new challenges
Identify new options
Respond to challenges
Provide new options

14. Where foresight fits: process
“Agri-food system
Programs”
“Global integrating
programs”
• Scenario building skills
• System thinking capacities
• Adjust/Adapt modeling skills
• Scenario building skills
Nested scenarios at
multiple scales
Strengthening foresight in the CGIAR
Embed technology in
scenario development
Embed research in
policies and investments

15. Building the future together
Stimulating collective actions to build the future
What are the roles of ISPC, Consortium Office and GFAR
Secretariat?
Reaching outside the CGIAR
CGIAR
Agri_food
system
programmes
Global
integrating
programmes
GFH
Forward
Thinking
Platform
Foresight
“academy”
Policy Dialogue
Platforms
Partners
in GFAR
Donors and
fundations
YPARD
Private
sector
Regional
fora
Higher
Education
Advisory
Services
NGOs
International
organisations
Consumer
associations
Farmers
organisations
Consortium
Office
GFAR
Secretariat
ISPC