About the Platform // A joint donor initiative The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development is a network of 40 bilateral and multilateral donors, international financing institutions, intergovernmental organisations, development agencies and foundations. Members share a common vision that agriculture and rural development is central to poverty reduction, and a conviction that sustainable and efficient development requires a coordinated global approach. Following years of relative decline in public investment in the sector, the Platform was created in 2003 to increase and improve the quality of development assistance in agriculture and rural development. // Evidence-based advocacy Members use the Platform to generate and promote common messages that raise the profile of agriculture and rural development in policy debates, conferences and workshops on international, regional and national levels. Why? – The potential of agriculture and rural development interventions to reduce poverty is seldom understood. // Knowledge exchange By providing entry points to information and space in which policymakers and practitioners can share knowledge, Platform members enhance their capacity to effectively support their clients in agriculture and rural development. Why? – Cutting edge knowledge in agriculture and rural development is often dispersed between agencies, leading to duplication of efforts and delays in the uptake of best-practice.