It is with deep sadness to hear that Shailendra Mahato has passed away on 18 January, 2014. Some of his friends and colleagues were aware that Shailendra was receiving medical treatment for renal failure but it was still unexpected to hear of his sudden death due to a stroke and heart failure.

The Governor of South Kivu DR Congo came to speak and bring to a close the International Farmers’ Dialogue in Bukavu 18 - 21 November.

The international Farmers' gathering started on the morning of 18 November in Bukavu (South Kivu in DR Congo) with 80 participants coming from 10 countries.

Geoffrey Lean writes in The Telegraph newspaper on 12 July about a revolution of encouraging 'weeds’ to grow in desert areas that is helping prevent land degradation and allowing crops to thrive.

Farmers’ Dialogue in Congo continues with its work! Alphonse Bisusa, president of FD - DR Congo was the main speaker at a Farmers’ training day in Bukavu, organized by the Kitumaini Association, attended by 40 people – mainly women – and run in the local language Mashi.

The Farmers’ Dialogue International Association has just elected its first President. Phil Jefferys, from Australia.

Responding to a request from representatives of Farmers’ Dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a ‘training of trainers’ workshop took place 25–28 February at the Bwindi Institute, six kms north of Bukavu, South Kivu province. Farmer’s Dialogue is a programme of Initiatives of Change which supports farmers in their calling to feed the world and to build farmer to farmer links across the world.

The many contacts made over the years by the team of International Farmers’ Dialogue (FDI) with Ukrainian farmers led to a Farm Expo in Kiev, on 12 February 2013.

In November a Training for Trainers session was held in Kenya, near the city of Nyahururu. The course dealt with questions linked with team-building, personal commitment, and reconciliation. The courses are intended to teach the delegates how to instruct trainees in the fundamentals of team-building and empowerment.

This report of Farmers' Dialogue activities was presented by Hajji Ssebalu Jamil, Coordinator of the African Farmers’ Dialogue, during the AGM of the African Farmers' Dialogue held near Nyahururu in Kenya on 7 November 2012.