The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) have joined forces to deliver a series of collaborative online classes on Information 4 Innovation in Food and Agriculture (I4IFA) on 29 June to 3 July 2020. The virtual sessions pool expertise and experience from the two leading agricultural organizations and other partners and focuses on increasing the quality and impact of information, knowledge management and data exchange in food and agriculture research for development.

The I4IFA week-long event hosts the “3rd AGROVOC Editorial Community Workshop (29-30 June)”, the “2020 Annual AGRIS Community Meeting (2-3 July)”, and the SKiM workshop on “Knowledge Management and Capacity Development Best Practices: Valorization and Transfer of Research Results”. While the AGRIS and AGROVOC networks meet annually, this year FAO and ICARDA (implementer of the IFAD funded SKiM project), have combined their efforts to offer interlinked events for the entire week. This new approach will maximize learning and development of institutional capacity in knowledge management, through participatory and interdisciplinary online classes on knowledge best practices application, adaptation and scaling:

·     The “3rd AGROVOC Editorial Community Workshop” includes participants representing institutions from the AGROVOC Editorial Community and other stakeholders. Its purpose is to reinforce the AGROVOC editorial community, invite institutions to curate new languages and new topics, outline new technical possibilities, and set priorities for the next few years.

·     The “2020 Annual AGRIS Community Meeting” will discuss thematic topics and cross-cutting topics on management of AGRIS, its use and other related developments, in particular in the context of research data in agriculture. The workshop’s objective is to enhance knowledge sharing and improve visibility and access to agricultural sciences and the technical content of agricultural research. The workshops will focus in particular on latest AGRIS developments and new partnerships.

·      The “2020 SKiM Learning Week” on “Knowledge Management (KM) and Capacity Development Best Practices: Valorization and Transfer of Research Results” (29th June – 3rd July), organized and presented with the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM-Bari), targets project partners and guest capacity with an operative interest in knowledge management and exchange. Participants will discover best KM practices through participatory classes, developing institutional awareness and gaining a clear idea of “what” can be done in their own context to boost knowledge-based assets and programs. Subjects covered will be curricula, entrepreneurship, social inclusion, natural resources management, information outreach, academic productivity and intellectual property.

Registration

Please visit the AGRIS agenda, the  AGROVOC agenda and the SKiM agenda for event and session details, registration procedure and other links. You must register for each session.  If you do not see registration links available for a particular session you wish to join, please email us at [email protected]. Sessions are mostly open to all, with some as invite only.

FAO, ICARDA, and Knowledge Management

Access to scientific information and data is vital for research for development (R4D) in food and agriculture. FAO has established a series of knowledge programs to support R4D efforts and make data and information on food and agriculture available, accessible, and usable worldwide. This work contributes to the five priorities of FAO to achieve a world without hunger, malnutrition and poverty sustainably, with a focus on the exchange of knowledge, information and data as a key approach towards achieving the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals. 

Towards fulfillment of its mission to enhance resilient livelihoods in the dry areas, ICARDA is committed to Open Access Knowledge Management, aiming at providing collaborators with access to vital data,  information products, and tools, protecting to Intellectual Property, ensuring FAIRness, maximizing access to research, developing knowledge management capacities and institutions, enhancing scientific knowledge and generating more impact.