| There is a tradition of social research conferences in the CGIAR system. Two were held
in the 1980s, with good outcomes. These conferences focused on technology transfer and
adoption, farming systems research, farmer involvement in research, and other subjects.
But no such conferences took part during the 1990s, despite increasing emphasis on the
social and economic dimensions of the centers´ activities and products. The small number
of social researchers in many Future Harvest centers simply did not provide the critical
mass necessary for such professional interactions. In some countries the presence of
social researchers has declined. In preparing the new CGIAR Strategy, the Group´s
Science Council (formerly its Technical Advisory Committee, or TAC) invited social
researchers working in the centers to incorporate into the strategy the social and
cultural elements they considered essential for achieving the CGIAR´s mission. The
response was encouraging, and many proposals from these scientists were incorporated into
the final strategy document approved by the CGIAR. The entire CGIAR system supported a
stronger emphasis on social research within the centers.
Farming populations, particularly poor farmers, are the ultimate clients of the Future
Harvest centers, and they are the main actors in improving agricultural productivity. Only
by putting these people first in the design and implementation of agricultural research
strategies and programs, can the centers contribute more strongly to reducing poverty,
increasing agricultural productivity, and eradicating hunger in the tropics. Thus, a major
challenge is to translate the increased social emphasis of the CGIAR´s new strategy into
concrete research processes and products at all centers.
Social researchers in the centers believe that a social science conference will prove
timely and useful in elevating the status and increasing the output of this work within
the CGIAR. The event should expose some of the weaknesses and difficulties in current
work, as perceived by the centers´ social researchers and by the biological and economics
researchers who need to use the results of social research.
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