Welcome to another “Quick Year in Review”

September 15, 2021

We are proud to bring you our 2020-21 Quick Year in Review.

Once again, we are offering you the option of a quick read, or a more detailed exploration of our activities through extensive links throughout the text.

We hope you enjoy this snapshot of what we have achieved in a year that none of us could have foreseen.

As our Chair and CEO write in their foreword, we have attempted to be flexible and innovative during the year to continue to bring a spotlight on food and nutrition security issues and the role for agricultural research for development, particularly during this time of a global pandemic. We progressed our NextGen program, and continued with capacity building, while we stayed in touch with domestic and international partners and developed new initiatives.

Some of our responses to the complexities that COVID-19 restrictions brought to our mission have included:

• the development of the e-mentoring program, as well as our existing longer-term mentors moving to virtual modalities,
• the design of a new modular Master Class on Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture that will be delivered initially by webinar and then, when conditions permit, in-person,
• delivery in conjunction with ACIAR of a hybrid event, with a large international audience, to highlight lessons from Australia on efforts in greenhouse gas abatement in agriculture, and
• an even more active NextGen program to engage high-school and university students in agriculture for development.

In a difficult year and with the need to adapt to unusual times, it’s particularly true that the Fund’s work would not be possible without the dedication of our unpaid Board of Directors; our small staff, and our State and Territory coordinators and their volunteer committees. Our heartfelt thanks to all of them.

We also warmly thank all those organisations and individuals who continued to support our work in public awareness, training, mentoring and NextGen through personal involvement or financial support. It is very much appreciated.