Annual Conference 2011
47th Annual Conference and
2011 Future Leaders Forum
June 5-8, 2011
"Building the Capacity to Transform the Food Security Landscape"

Program

Human and institutional capacity building are vital to the developmental transformation of agriculture and the ability of the industry to spur economic development and alleviate hunger. After an extensive period during which agricultural research, education and training received less than optimal attention, the collective focus on capacity building by USAID, USDA, NEPAD, APLU, IFPRI, and NGOs offer the opportunity for rich dialogue on lessons learned and strategies for future success.

Sunday, June 5

3:30 p.m.Executive Board Meeting
Room of the Secretary/Treasurer, Embassy Suites Hotel, Washington, D.C.

6:30 p.m.Sunday Evening Reception
Room: Capital C

Monday, June 6

7:30 a.m.Continental Breakfast
Room: Capital CD

8:30 a.m.Welcome and Program Overview
Rob Nooter, Social Enterprise Management Services (SEMS), LLC, AIARD President, 2010-2011
Handy Williamson, University of Missouri, 2011-2012 AIARD President Elect

8:45 a.m.Panel I: The Capacity Building Playing Field: Overview

Presiding: Susan G. Schram, Vice President, ACDI/VOCA, Past President; Chair Education and Advocacy; Secretariat, AIARD

Panelists:

• USAID Initiatives for Capacity and Local Systems Development: Jeff Hill, Bureau for Food Security, USAID
• FAO Capacity Building Initiatives: Florence Rolle, Senior Liaison Officer, FAO
• Capacity for Food Policy Research and Analysis: Suresh Babu, Senior Research Staff, Director General's Office, IFPRI
• Study of USAID's work in Capacity Building: James Hochschwender, Senior Managing Associate, Weidemann Associates

10:10 a.m.Break

10:30 p.m.Panel II: Country-led Initiatives and Investments 

Presiding: Chuck Chopak, Principal Development Specialist, DAI, AIARD President Elect

Panelists:

• African Investments in Science, Technology and Agricultural Development: Melissa Brown, The World Bank
• "Africa Lead" -- Goals and Accomplishments to Date: David Tardiff-Douglin, Chief of Party, Africa Lead, DAI
• Strengthening Capacity for Policymaking: The Case of the Democratic Republic of Congo: John Ulimwengu, IFPRI West and Central Africa, Senior Research Staff

11:45 a.m.AIARD Future Leaders Forum: Introduction of Participants
Robert Haggerty, University of Idaho, AIARD Director and Past President

12:15pmLunch
Presiding: Rob Nooter, SEMS, LLC, AIARD President, 2010-2011

Keynote Speaker: Deborah Atwood, Executive Director, AGree, Meridian Institute

AGree: Creating Connections and Solutions to Transform and Ag Policy

Funded by eight of the world's leading foundations for at least the next eight years, AGree is a recently launched project that strives to provide a path forward to transform US food and agriculture policy. Building the human and institutional capacity to meet the agenda set forth by AGree will be critical.

1:30 p.m.Panel III: Land-grant Universities: New Trends in Global Food Security Capacity Building

Presiding: Malcolm Butler, Vice President for International Programs, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Panelists:

• Research: Anne-Claire Hervy, Chief Operating Officer, Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative, APLU; AIARD Young Professional Awardee
• Extension: Michael J. McGirr, National Program Leader, Center for International Programs, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA
• Teaching: Sammy Comer, Director of International Agricultural Programs, Tennessee State University

3:00 p.m.Coffee Break

3:30 p.m.Panel IV: Capacity Building & Transformative Science: Linking Research and Innovation to Agricultural Transformation

Presiding: Rob Bertram, Acting Director, Office of Agriculture, Research and Technology, Bureau for Food Security, USAID

Panelists:

• Feed the Future Research Strategy: Saharah Moon Chapotin, Acting Chief, Research Division, Office of Agriculture, Research and Technology Bureau for Food Security, USAID
• Implications of new CGIAR Business Model and Strategic Objectives: Mark Cackler, Manager, Agriculture and Rural Development Department, World Bank
• Private Sector Perspectives: Jane DeMarchi, Director of Government Affairs for Research and Technology, National Association of Wheat Growers

5:00 p.m.Adjourn

5:45 p.m.President's Reception
Room: Meeting Room Foyer

6:30 p.m.Dinner
Room: Capital CD
Presiding: Rob Nooter, Social Enterprise Management Services, LLC, AIARD President, 2010-2011

7:30 p.m.AIARD Awards Presentation: Recognizing Excellence and Career Achievements
Albert Ayeni, Rutgers University, Awards Committee Chair, Presiding

8:00 p.m.Adjourn

Tuesday, June 7

7:30 a.m.Continental Breakfast
Room: Capital C

8:30 a.m.Panel V: Leveraging Resources for Capacity Building Through Partnerships
Presiding: David Hansen, Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University & Senior Fellow, Association for Public Land-grant Universities

Panelists:

• USDA: Partnering for Capacity Building: Gary Groves, Assistant Deputy Administrator, Office of Capacity Building and Development, USDA, FAS
• Private Sector: Building Local Agricultural Capacity through Partnerships: John Allgood, Director, Eurasia Division, IFDC
• Partnering With Community Colleges: Bill Path, President, Northeast Community College, Nebraska

10:15 a.m.Coffee Break

10:35 a.m.Roundtable Discussion: Brainstorming about AIARD: Future Directions and Opportunities
Moderator: Rob Nooter, SEMS, LLC, AIARD President 2010-2011

11:15 a.m.Reflections on the AIARD Conference
Future Leaders Forum Participants

11:45 a.m.46th Annual Meeting Program Wrap Up: Observations and Comments
Chuck Chopak, Principal Development Specialist DAI, Inc., AIARD President Elect

NoonAdjourn Program Meeting

Lunch
Room: Capital D

1:00 p.m.AIARD Annual Business Meeting
Rob Nooter, SEMS, LLC, AIARD President, 2011, presiding

1:45 p.m.Adjourn

Wednesday, June 8

7:30 a.m.Future Leaders Forum Participants Visit Washington, DC Offices