Bob Doherty, head of the business school at Liverpool Hope University, told how social enterprises are transforming the lives of farmers in developing countries, when he addressed a Greencoat Forum on ‘the role of social entrepreneurship in tackling poverty’ on 17 May. He was speaking in IofC’s London centre alongside Gavin McGillivray, head of the Private Sector Department at the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), and Tania Ellis, a specialist in social business trends and author of The New Pioneers.

Thirty-one members of Farmers’ Dialogue from fourteen countries (East Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia) met in Kigali (Rwanda) in an informal and stimulating setting to consider the various missions of the programme and the team's commitments as a result of their missions. This diverse group of people took time to think about the roots of their programme and the impact it could have on their way of thinking and their commitment.

Claude Bourdin, coordinator of the International Farmers’ Dialogue, and Fiacre Sengati, project manager, spent one week in Rwanda in December 2010, to coordinate with Rwandan colleagues preparations for two events.

The Farmers' Dialogue is running a Capacity building course from 12 - 19 March in Kigali, Rwanda, for 30-40 people (from 20 countries) in charge of Farmers' Dialogue.

On Uganda's Independence Day, 9th October 2010, the Ugandan Farmers’ Dialogue team marched with both the International and the Ugandan Farmers’ Dialogue banners, in front of the President of the Republic of Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, and his guests during the celebrations. The team received many of calls of appreciation.

The Caux Forum for Human Security brought together diplomats, politicians, academics, journalists and people active in many areas of life. There was a growing awareness of the importance of agriculture, with many discussions around the subject. Pooling the evidence of what is already being achieved, and examining what can be done as each of us find the practical things we can do, gives grounds for hope that seemingly insurmountable problems can be overcome.

Two hundred and sixty-four participants from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Rwanda, DR. Congo, Sudan, Namibia, Austria, UK, and France attended the international farmers' dialogue in Kampala, Uganda, from May 5 - 9 2010. The topics included: background of Farmers’ Dialogue, Africa’s potential, the role of NGOs in food security, farming in educational institutions, climate change and its effects, empowering farmers, the importance of trees, energy-saving technologies, organic farming, the role of village saving and loan associations, marketing.

The International Farmers’ Dialogue Conference started on 5 May at Rest Gardens Training Center in Bweyogerere in the Eastern part of Kampala. In his welcome speech Jamil Ssebalu, President of Farmers’ Dialogue Africa, welcomed participants and introduced the theme of the conference Responding to the Challenge of feeding Africa.

80 farmers, mostly women, met in Muheza, situated in the North-East of Tanzania, from April 27-28, invited by the Farmers dialogue local team. The District Commissioner opened the meeting, with the Director of the Agricultural District Services and the Chairman of the Council of Muheza.

The online registration form for the International Caux Conferences 2010 is now available.