Tropentag 2020, September 9 - 11, virtual conference, Germany "Food and nutrition security and its resilience to global crises"

Findings of the CIM – BEAF Side Event

Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh, Advisory Service on Agricultural Research for Development (BEAF), Germany

Abstract

As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Agriculture and Agricultural Research are likely to undergo major transformations. How the pandemic has affected Agricultural Research for Development until now, and which strategies could be adopted by the research community to efficiently respond to future challenges were discussed in the annual Meeting of CIM-Integrated Experts and Returning Experts (CIM-BEAF Meeting) between 07.-08.09.2020. The experts are placed by BMZ/GIZ at International Agricultural Research Centers, including the Centers of the CGIAR, the World Vegetable Center and The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE). They work on a broad range of topics, including gender, digitalisation, communication and scaling of agricultural innovations.
Not surprisingly, the experts experience severe restrictions for their fieldwork as a result of the pandemic. Many workflows, however, could still be maintained to some degree due to the increased use of digital tools and information and communications technology (ICT). Such virtual communication formats and digital tools were also considered critical for coping – at least to some extent - with the implications of the COVID-19 crisis on agricultural research in the future. In the session, also other approaches and ideas will be presented that could facilitate Research for Development and thus help global food systems to „sustainably recover“ from the crises.

Contact Address: Steffen Entenmann, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh, Advisory Service on Agricultural Research for Development (BEAF), Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36, 53113 Bonn, Germany, e-mail: steffen.entenmanngiz.de