TAA in the 21st Century, tasks and what has been achieved so far.

Updated Sepember 2004

During 2001 the TAA 2010 Working Group completed a lengthy process of widespread consultation with members on the future of the Association. Special ExCo meetings were held on 4th December (at which the working group put forward outline proposals for change) and 13th December (at which the proposals were reviewed and revised by ExCo). The proposals were then discussed with members at a general meeting also on the 13th December and were subsequently endorsed at the AGM that followed. It has therefore been decided that, with immediate effect, the Association will embark upon a process of change during the next few years. The aim is to strengthen and expand the Association, extend the range of benefits of membership, enhance the international image and presence and establish a firm financial and operational footing to ensure the Association’s sustained good health and growth in the 21st century.

A further special meeting of ExCo was held on 29th January 2002 in order to agree a prioritised list of actions or tasks and to identify individuals to take full responsibility for taking forward each task for an agreed period of time. The key components of each task were agreed and then individual members were invited to serve as ‘task leaders’. Each task leader will prepare a detailed plan of action (to be approved at a future meeting of ExCo), and co-opt others to assist as necessary and set and meet realistic time-bound targets. Further detailed dicussions by were held on the 10th April at EXCO's quarterly meeting

TASKS	OBJECTIVES	TASK LEADERS	PROGESS TO DATE	STILL TO BE DONE
1. IDENTITY AND IMAGE OF THE ASSOCIATION	Prepare an action plan and timetable for the change process Review and reconsider the need for a new name and acronym. Prepare new mission statement draft  Define criteria for new membership grades Draft revisions to the constitution	Roger Smith, ExCo Chairman and Tony Smith, Membership Secretary	Timetable for action prepared. (Click here for details). New draft mission statement prepared (Click here for details) New membership grades defined (Click here for details) New constitution will be drafted when all other changes made	To revise TAA  constitution to take account of overseas groups and to re-examine membership categories.
2. FINANCE	Prepare a ‘business plan’ to include alternative scenarios for  income (e.g. subscriptions, donations (DFID, etc), profit from conferences, publications, sales (ties etc), newsletter). Expenditure (e.g. administration, promotion/marketing, expenses (travel, speakers, website, newsletter, audit, accounts).  Charitable status pros and cons.  Subscription rates Charges for other services	Laurie Robertson, Treasurer	New subscription rates set (Click here for details) Members can now pay by credit card by either phoning or sending their credit card details by email. On line payment by credit card is now available. Members just have to click on the pay button. Members are now able to make donations to TAA online Agreed not to introduce direct debit at this stage because changes to subscription rates made fairly infrequently As a result of changes the  decline in  the TAA funds has been reversed and the cash in hand increased by   £3000 in 2002/2003 Gift aid introduced but response from members has been disappointing. Additional income less than £500 a year. Information on making bequests now available on general information page	Cost of administration to be itemised Charges for services provided by TAA to be reviewed. Business plan to be prepared.
3. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT	The need for reliable admin and secretarial support and for a permanent address whether real or ‘virtual’ (i.e. PO Box No) should be re-assessed. Consideration of the timing and more detailed estimates of likely costs and benefits should be undertaken.	Elizabeth Warham	New permanent address established for TAA - PO Box 3 Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland (see front of Newsletter). On-line members and student members have not received hard copy of Newsletter since March 2003 edition. On line version available to all members. Access limited by user name and password. Agreed that with the current income of TAA a permanent office is not affordable and that the current on-line office system serves toe TAA well.	Help to be sought by Membership Secretary to increase the information held on the TAA database
4. RESPONSES TO MEMBERS SUGGESTIONS ant Task Group.	Many members responded to the questionnaires with some excellent suggestions and ideas for the future. All responses should therefore be sifted and a synthesis prepared of the best ideas for the appropriate Task Leaders and ExCo to consider. Individual acknowledgement should be sent to the members concerned and where appropriate they should be invited to join the relev	Elizabeth Warham	Summary of members suggestions prepared.(Click here for summary)	Further assessment of which of members suggestions can and should be implemented
5. POSSIBLE COLLABORATION OR ALLIANCES WITH OTHER BODIES	To initiate discussion/dialogue with other relevant organisations with a view to future collaboration or integration: - · e.g. ABLH, IoB, British Society of Sugar Technologists, East Africa Tea Association, International Farm Management Association, Association of Applied Biologists, Farmers World Network, Farm Africa, ICA, Waginingen, DFID, IIED, ODI, IDS.	Paul Tuley, General Secretary	Better Land Husbandry now an associated member of TAA	Details of bodies that have agreed to become associated with TAA to be listed together with type of association agreed.
6. SPECIALIST GROUPS OR NETWORKS	Initiate at least 3 specialist groups or networks in 2002. Topics might include ‘old colonials’ luncheon and discussion group; junior members group; tropical horticulture group; research group; engineering and technology group; forest agriculture group; etc. Groups could be formed and disbanded as interest/demand dictates over time.	Elizabeth Warham	.Better Land Husbandry and Agri-Business Groups created	Details of specialist groups formed to be published on web and in TAA Newsletter
7. OVERSEAS GROUPS	To draft plans to set up at least two overseas groups in 2002. Interest has been expressed in Kenya, Tanzania and possibly Western Australia. Draft criteria and TOR’s should be prepared and dialogue initiated with the resident members involved in the countries in question. The nature of the relationship with the UK operation should be explored.	Tony Smith, Membership Secretary	New overseas group will be established in Kenya in September 2002 (Click here for details) See also diary for meetings in Kenya New group established in India in 2004. See general information page.	Establisment of overseas groups in West and Southern Africa and India to be investigated  Strong possibility of one in Spain (Tony Smith in discussions) and Mexico.
8. REGIONAL GROUPS	With help from the existing regional group convenors plans to set up an additional regional group possibly in central England, Wales or East Anglia should be drafted and a convenor identified.	Rger Smith to consult with Geoff Wilkinson and /or Philip Dearden re a Midlands Group. Keith Virgo and Derek Sutton to consider an East Anglia Group.	New regional group established in East Anglia (Convener Keith Virgo). See Diary for details	Roger Smith will  try to establish group in the Midlands and investigate the possibility of other regional groups
9.WEBSITE	Plans for the long term development and management of the  website should be prepared.	Tony Smith	Copies of TAA Newsletter now available on Association website in pdf format. Subcription to Workwithus.com has been negotiated. (Cost £25 a year) and payment  of membership fees on line through Workwithus is now possible Names of members willing to give talks to organisations to be placed on website Access to CABI scientific on-line database by membership been negotiated. (Ask Membership Secretary of user name and password). Cost of service £2700 a year. Members using this service have made an additional voluntary contribution of £600 to the upkeep of the service. Searchable on-line TAA consultants database has been developed and is now on line List of members willing to give talks to local group within the UK being developed (Click here for details).  Capacity of the website doubled to 200 megabytes in March 2003 List of Members of TAA now available on website. Updated every  3 months	.
10. OTHER EVENTS AND MEETINGS	Plans should be initiated for a self-funding international conference in 2003/4 and an overseas tour for UK members. The possibility of exchange visits to/from the UK especially for overseas resident members should be explored (possibly with Farmers World Network).	Henry Gunston	.Bienneial conference organised in Reading in September 2004	Details of self funding conference to be given. Negotiations in hand with BSAS for joint meeting in Bangkok in 2005.  Tony Smith and Keith Virgo held meeting held with BSAS in April 2004. Henry Gunsten and Jim Turnbull have agreed to take lead in organising the next biennial conference.
11.  PROMOTION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS	A public relations strategy should be developed to include plans for a global membership drive beginning in June 2002, promotion, advertising, list of speakers, prizes for papers, etc Comments on  government papers to be considered	Roger Smith, John Coulter and Keith Virgo	Response made by EXCO to DIFD invitation in July 2002 to comment on their 'The role of agriculture' paper and on on other submission Corporate members invited to contribute to TAA stand at Royal Show New Publicity leaflet prepared by Elizabeth  Warham
12.  NEWSLETTER AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS	Future plans for the development of the  newsletter and other publications should be prepared: size, format, colour, commissioned papers/articles, pullout supplements, special editions, advertising, etc	Gary Robertson, Newsletter Editor, Keith Virgo	Format of the Newsletter changed. Photographs now included with articles.  Format developed that can easily be put onto the TAA webpage.	Ascertain savings that will be made when large number of members elect to  receive TAA  Newsletter on line. These savings have been considerable
13. AWARD FUND	Forward plan to be prepared to include e.g. funding, number of awards and criteria, placements, reporting and feedback to donors, appointment of patron, mentoring for awardees, etc. (see item 12 in document of 13/12/01).	John Coulter and TAAF Committee	Additional funds obtained from the Gatsby foundation for five TAA awards each year. Lord Selborne appointed as patron Offer of funds made by Syngenta	Approach corporate members to see if they would sponsor a TAAF award) Other sources of funding to be explored. Way Syngenta funds to be used to be decided.
14. AWARDS COMMITTEE	Consider electing members as Fellows to reflect their contribution to tropical agriculture and rural development. This could be taken a step further by obtaining a Royal Charter for the association and making members Chartered Tropical Agriculturalists.	John Coulter and others	Essay Fund established for young tropical agriculturalists. For details see  TAA Newsletter page	EXCO to discuss making awards to members. For example the Tropical Agriculturalist of the Year award.
15. TAA Spokespeople	Compile a list of spokespersons who could be approached by the media on items concerned with tropical agriculture.	Has this been dropped by EXCO?	.	List of spokespersons to be compiled to represent TAA on select committees.
16. Membership	Continue membership drive	EXCO	Introduction of new grades has slowed decline. In Feb  2004 there are 950 paid up members. The number of corporate members has increased from 13 to 18 this year (2003/2004). Amir Kassam in FAO has recruited a number of new members.	Register more overseas members through overseas branches of TAA. Increase membership through associated groups. Recruit more members in mainland Europe Further increase the number of corporate members. Aim to recruit at least 50 new members a year.

Timetable for changes to TAA
Tasks	Action Taken
March 2002 1.Agree on new name for TAA 2.Agree on new mission statement 3.Put new Corporate address put  into Newsletter 4. Agree on the new membership structure	1. Done 2. Done 3. Done 4. Done
May 2002 Put list of members willing to give talks onto web pages	Done
June 2002 Establish first overseas group (in Kenya)	Done, group now active
July 2002 Report on establishing new regional groups submitted	No report, but new group established in East Anglia
August 2002 1. Apply for funding from  lottery to fund overseas cooperation  2. Draft new constitution 3. Seek advice on how to revamp members database  together with investigate the possibility of putting the it onto a secure file server. The New Database to include the following information: Nationality, webpage, information on two related organisations to which the member belongs, home and business telephone numbers,  One line statement of expertise, languages. Availability to give talks.	1. Not done carry forward 2. New constitution agreed Dec 2003 3. List of members to be put on line in August 2003 user name and password
September 2002 1. Introduce Direct Debit 2. Consultants database put onto website.  3. New business plan prepared 4. Make CABI database available to members	1. Rejected for time being but payment on line introduced. 2. Done 3. Business plan still to be done. Laurie to produce by September 2003 4. Done
October 2002 1. Report on possible alliances  with other bodies prepared. 2. New  version of members database prepared by outside consultant 3. New regional group established in the midlands of England 4. Second overseas group established (Southern Afica?)	1. No report prepared 2. Consultant to be contacted 3. Unsuccessful attempt made to establish Midlands group 4. Awaiting names for contacts in West Indies from Paul Tuley and in Ghana from John Coulter.
November 2002 Report on specialist groups or networks submitted	Still awaited
March 2003 1) First Newsletter with new name 20. Report of awards committee received	1. Done January 2003 2. Awaited
August 2003 New fee structure comes 1nto being.  Return to top of page	New fee structure  adopted ion July 2002
December 2003 Membership list put onto web page
January 2004 Offer of funds from Syngenta
April 2004 Negotiations on contribution of TAA to Thailand conference
Items carried Forward 1. Apply for funding from  lottery to fund overseas cooperation 2. Seek advice on how to revamp members database  together with investigate the possibility of putting the it onto a secure file server. The New Database to include the following information: Nationality, webpage, information on two related organisations to which the member belongs, home and business telephone numbers,  One line statement of expertise, languages. Availability to give talks. 3. New business plan to be prepared 4. Report on possible alliances  with other bodies prepared. 5. New  version of members database prepared by outside consultant 6. New regional group established in the midlands of England 7. Second, third and fourth overseas group established 8. Report on specialist groups or network 9. Report of awards committee received 10. List of Spokespeople 11. Self funding international conference Thailand 2005 with BSAS

Summary of ideas submitted by TAA members

Identity and Image of the Association
Sir Charles Pereira - Retain tropical experience as strength of TAA.
Developing world more commercial - not addressed by TAA. Problems faced similar to Royal Geographic Society 20 years ago. Consult with past director Dr J Hemming - Chris Grace
Mike Arnold - Mixing needs of development specialists with those of researchers in life sciences does not work well, as discovered extending Experimental Agriculture.

Finance
Credit card payments through a charity organisation Workwithus - Tony Smith
British Soil Science Society provides 2 journals and all society services for £36 - P.B. Tinker

Administrative Support
R.D. Sheldrick - Chief Executive on a salaried basis, with a permanent office, e.g. University campus in preference to Government site.
L.G. Sewell - develop CV directory into an employment search function and offer expertise to potential employers/projects and/or provide technical helpline functions to projects.

Possible Collaboration or Alliances with Other Bodies
British Society of Sugar Cane Technologists - J.S. Mulholland, R.A. Yates
Australia and West Indies - Ian Twyford
Attract rich sponsors - M.F. Purnell
Develop closer links with consultancy companies - David B. Parsons
Networking/co-ordinating body for all the Universities, Colleges, consulting firms in UK and their staff appointed overseas - Tim Roberts
International Development Centre, University of Reading - Jonathan Rushton
Commonwealth Forestry Association  - John Morris
Offer of information on Association of Applied Biologists; British Society of Plant Pathology; British Ecological Society; and Society for General Microbiology - Mike Thresh
Association for Better Land Husbandry - contact Francis Shaxson - Martin Brunt, Ian Hill
More contact with International Division of BIAC (John Pooley 01727 821007) - AWA Burt
Regional structure with London base (Royal Overseas League or the Geographical Society) - D. Lyon
Royal Forestry Society - Frank Tait

Specialist Groups or Networks
Peter Storey - valuable if members could write in with problems/suggestions which could be forwarded to appropriate members or bodies relevant to points raised.
Sam Bickersteth - TAA should become a network of rural development professionals.
R.D. Sheldrick - specialist groups within the BGS can charge an additional fee for the services they provide to those who wish.
Sir Charles Pereira - Water supply and catchment area management
Mike Lord - a poverty and hunger eradication group
John Tunstall - horticulture
Ian Hill - ABLH could be a focus for one of the TAA specialist networks.

Overseas Groups
Kenya suggested contact Jim Cheatle, ABLH (jim@cheatle.demon.co.uk - Martin Brunt
East African Tea Association good at collecting fees and arranging local programmes - David Walker
Look at ways to co-operate with organisations overseas - David Walker
Offer to arrange membership groups in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zambia, Kenya - Alan Stapleton

Regional Groups
Simon Chater, GreenInk Ltd. would like more information on South West Group

Website
A.W. Waitt - give consideration to those members who do not have access to a website.
Jonathan Rushton - lessons from New Agriculturalist.
John Tunstall - CABI database would provide a strong incentive for younger agricultural scientists
John Chesworth - CABI database invaluable for members overseas. CABI article in newsletter.

Other Events and Meetings
Whole day meetings with buffet lunch. Also joint meetings with other societies on topics of mutual interest - Mike Thresh
Hold an international meeting every 3 or 4 years in association with other Agriculture Associations to enhance the profile of TAA - Kevin Powell

Promotion and Public Relations
Identify key University Departments with special interests in tropical development as active supporters (and possibly recruiters) of new members - Henry Gunston
Stronger links to commercial organisations required - sponsorship, advertising - Paul Lloyd
Development agencies are able to pay for information - maybe TAA can build on that - M.T. Long. From experience with list of speakers through Institute of Biology, audiences unlikely - E. T. Wilmot.
List of speakers and media important to enhance public awareness of TAA - C.C. Goldthorpe.

Newsletter and Other Publications
John Morris - examples of items for newsletter
Douglas Couper - scope for articles on many interesting and exciting advances in tropical agriculture, e.g. CGIAR research
John Morris - include articles like p32 of 15th September edition of New Scientist
Items to be no more than three pages long

Award Fund
Retain awardees as TAA members   Return to top of page

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Third Draft of the 2002 Mission Statement

TAA : THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURE ASSOCIATION
(Bringing together those concerned with the role of agriculture in sustainable development, throughout the world.)

Mission Statement

The Tropical Agriculture (TAA) is a Professional Association of  individuals and corporate bodies concerned with the role of agriculture for development throughout the world.  TAA is a Charity registered in England and Wales (registered charity No. 800663), and has as its mission:-

To  be  an association which brings together individuals and organisations from both developed and less developed countries to enable them to contribute to international policies aimed at reducing poverty and improving the nutrition and livelihoods ofboth rural and the expanding urban populations. To  encourage the efficient and sustainable use of local resources and by raising the productivity of both agriculture and related enterprises to increase the prosperity an general well-being of all.  Particular emphasis is given to rural areas in the tropics and sub-tropics and to countries with less developed economies in temperate areas. 

The Association sees Agriculture both as a commercial business and as a way of life . In this context it promotes the sustainable use of inputs and technologies in order to raise outputs and to encourage evolution from poverty and subsistence farming towards wealth-generating but sustainable commercial farming. 
! The Association recognises the need to conserve bio-diversity and the need to arrest and reverse the degradation of the natural resource base on which agriculture depends. 
! The Association recognises the inter-related roles of farmers, scientists (agriculturists, economists, sociologists etc.) and other people living in rural areas (stakeholders) in achieving a convergent approach to rural development, including recognition of the importance of the role of women ,  the effect of AIDs and other social issues on the rural economy. 
! The Association encourages the undertaking of agricultural research and the application of indigenous and accumulated knowledge, together with research results,  in order to improve the livelihoods, health and welfare of producers, traders and consumers.

The TAA contribution is achieved through discussion,  debate, the transfer and dissemination of information derived from the wealth of knowledge and experience which exists within its world-wide  membership, and through its association with the Global Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (GFAR).  The Association’s Tropical Agriculture Award Fund (TAAF)  assists aspiring young tropical agriculturists to embark on suitable careers by giving them relevant experience in the field. 

· Agriculture is deemed to include farming (crops and animals),  forestry and agro-forestry, fisheries and wider rural development issues.  It includes the disciplines of agriculture, biology, agronomy,  soil science, crop protection, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, rural sociology, geography, environmental science, ecology,  animal health and production and related disciplines.

The TAA aims to facilitate the establishment of a global network of National or Regional branches each with its own membership and programme of activities, and to co-ordinate their activities from its central office.   The principle co-ordinating instrument is the TAA executive committee which oversees the producion of a  quarterly global newsletter, maintains a detailed database of members and maintains a webpage, (www.taa.org.uk) on which are published the activities of the Association. It is also  a source of information on all aspects of agriculture and rural development..Return to top of page

New Membership Grades

Individual Members  (Printed Newsletter)--       £30 p.a
Individual Members  (Online Newsletter)--       £20 p.a.
Journal’ Members  (Printed Newsletter
 plus Journal of Experimental Agriculture)-       £50 p.a.
Student Member   (Online Newsletter) ---- ----  £5 p.a.
Corporate  member (On-line Newsletter) -       £ 80 p.a

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Link to Experimental Agriculture

 We held a meeting of the TAA Executive Committee in Durham. TAA is working out the structure of its new membership grades.  We will now have a Membership category, whereby members wishing to receive the journal "Experimental Agriculture" will be required to pay our new Ordinary Member fee of £30.00 plus an additional £20.00. per annum  This
will come into force from the start of our next year on August 1st, 2002, and new Bankers order forms etc are being sent to members with our June Newsletter.    Subs should arrive during August, and by the end of August we should have a good indication of the response. We will then provide Cambridge University Press with a list of subscribing members, and remit funds to them. (£20.00 each). 
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Talks to Clubs and Voluntary Organisations The TAA Members listed are available  to give talks to voluntary organisations such as Rotary, Lions and Young Farmers' clubs. Members will not charge for their talks but will expect to receive resonable reimbursement for travel costs. Small donations to the Tropical Agriculture Award Fund  would also be appreciated (For details go to general information page. Speakers will normally limit their travel to functions within their geographical area. Speakers are listed by their location and by the subject of their talk(s). If you would like any of these speakers to talk to your organisation please contact either the Membership Secretary ( membership_secretary@taa.org.uk ) or the General Secretary ( general_secretary@taa.org.uk ). NB all the members listed below agreed to give talks when they responded to the spring electronic survey. Once I get together a resonable list I will put it on the TAA webpage. Return to top of page
Name of Speaker	Location	Topic of  talk(s)	When available
Anthony Smith	Scotland/ North England	Sustainable food production in the tropics	By arrangement
.	.	Tropical climates and their effect on agricultural production	By arrangement
TR Machin (575)	.	.	.
Roger Smith	London	Coconuts, Cacao and Underused Crops	By arrangement
Brain Eavis (281)	.	.	.
Anne Pearson	.	.	.
Jim Robertson	.	.	.
Robert Ridgeway (775)	.	.	.
Bill Symon (1599)	.	.	.
Alan Cavalier (932)	.	.	.
H Bremner (120)	.	.	.
Kassam Amir	.	.	.
Alan Stapleton (851)	.	.	.
William Griffiths	.	.	.
Andy Ward	.	.	.
Euan Thomson	.	.	.
Tony Simmonds	.	.	.
Wayne Borden	.	.	.
Heather Faulkner	Canterbury and Folkstone	Haiti its erosion problem and need for erostion control via trees etc.	Evenings
Rosalyn Rappaport	London	Solar cooking. Based on experience in the Gambia including a 27 minute video The comic strip in agricultural extension based on west African experience. An illustrated talk using slides
.	.	Return to top of page	Weekends only