ANGOC participated in the First Partners’ Assembly of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR)and to the 3^rd Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD3) on 5-8 April 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Partners’ Assembly was convened to: i) understand and agree on the draft GFAR Charter, ii) understand challenges of collective action, iii) agree on governance arrangements and iv) endorse the way forward on decisions arrived at the assembly. Around 100 partners agreed on a mission to advocate for and catalyze collective actions that strengthen and transform agri-food research and innovation systems.

On the other hand, GCARD3, “No One Left Behind: Agri‐food Innovation and Research for a Sustainable World”focused on how to better align agricultural research with national development processes and priorities and with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Five themes guided the discussions on ensuring effective and impact-driven national and regional innovation systems: i) scaling-up from research to impact, ii) showcasing results and demonstrating impacts, iii) keeping science relevant and future-focused, iv) sustaining the business of farming and v) ensuring better rural futures. Among the proposed collective actions include:

• setting up farmer-led innovation platforms;
• producing 1000 PhDs per year with skills relevant for future agricultural research;
• continuing professional development in agriculture for innovation and entrepreneurship;
• developing a “culture of impact”; contributing to national measurement of progress to the SDGs and harmonizing agriculture-related indicators;
• building value-chain partnerships while protecting small‐scale farmers’ access to resources and developing their business skills;
• addressing public health and nutrition in agricultural research; and
• explore the creation of “Alliance for Re‐appropriation of the Future of Rural Areas by Local Actors”