FAC’s Communications and Networking team works to ensure that FAC research is strategically communicated to make significant contributions to the agriculture policy (e.g. in Africa). As such, FAC is:

• Generating awareness of FAC’s existence;
• Building our presence via outreach/engagement throughout our research processes;
• Participating in policy and media discussions, debates and networks;
• Creating alliances with key partners to continue to build our presence;
• Becoming recognised as a distinctive, reliable, and independent voice on agriculture policy research in Africa;
• Exerting influence by producing timely, relevant and authoritative contributions

Three principles underpin this approach:

• Engagement between researchers and academia, government, media, private sector, etc. can improve the quality and substance of the research as well as ensure that research contributes to learning.
• Interaction with a diversity of stakeholders can provide not only useful inputs into research but can also protect against undue influences by any one group.
• Independent researchers can provide the setting in which to bring together these diverse groups to discuss difficult challenges.