Dear Members of the Alliance,

With the end of 2016 and a fresh year ahead of us, we wish to thank you all for your continued and active engagement in GACSA, both collectively and individually. We have much to celebrate in the second year of the Alliance, where GACSA has doubled its membership and generated a positive momentum in rallying global and local interest in CSA. The 2^nd GACSA Annual Forum, last June, is one major highlight in this growing demonstration of the GACSA value. The climate-smart agriculture approach is increasingly taking hold in various global and local policy discussions, and GASCA, with a clearer focus on what to achieve over the next few years, aims to be bring unique value in leveraging political and technical support in accelerated and widespread up-take in practicing of CSA innovations. 

 As you know, GASCA is a voluntary membership alliance. Therefore, none of the success over the last years of GACSA would have been possible without the clear resolve and dedication by the members to participate and even lead in the action. This include those who work through the various GACSA Action Groups as well as Task Teams. We thank you all and trust that this action has been mutually rewarding for your organisations too. As we enter 2017, we, certainly, look forward to seeing more of the member organisations and individuals coming up to contribute to the realisation of the value and purpose of GACSA.

 Additionally, we wish to give a special thanks to all the eight members of the Facilitation Unit for the individual and collective contribution to GACSA’s achievements, often in challenging times since the inception of the Alliance. Financial constraints prompted the Strategic Committee, at its last October meeting, to streamline the Facilitation Unit as of January 2017, while a longer-term financing strategy is being developed, in order to keep the momentum going in a sustainable manner. It is with sadness that we must part with four members of the GACSA family, whose dedicated service and tireless commitment we wish to pay tribute to: Mr. Andrew Enow (Coordinator), as well as Ms. Dina Franchi (Project Assistant), Ms. Olga Trynkova (Programme Development Consultant), and Ms. Emna Belgasmi (Communications Consultant). Achuo, Dina, Olga, Emna – your resourceful passion will be greatly missed - thank you for your contribution! We sincerely wish you the best for what awaits you next.

 On a more cheerful note, we are excited about the new opportunities that 2017 bodes for GACSA, and remain confident that the Alliance can effectively harness the momentum generated and consolidate its gains, thereby remaining relevant as countries move to ground their aspirations and goals related to the SDGs and the Paris COP21 Climate Agreement. Various partners are reaching out to GACSA to explore further collaboration, and while smaller, the restructured Facilitation Unit is effectively delivering on its essential core functions in this transition phase.

With our best wishes for a happy new year, and new beginnings for GACSA,

Yours sincerely, 

Martin and Mi