CRS’ 2009 agriculture symposium,  “Holistic Innovations in Agriculture Programming”, drew over 120 participants to Washington, DC, on April 20. CRS president Ken Hackett delivered a welcome and introductory address, launching the new CRS Agriculture and Environment strategy, and the World Bank’s Katherine Sierra delivered the keynote.

CRS field and headquarters staff joined donors and partner agency representatives to discuss how interdisciplinary approaches can increase program impact. Climate change surfaced as a priority issue, and speakers Ren Wang, Director of the CGIAR, and Sam Worthington, CEO of InterAction, stressed the importance of partnership.