GFAR is composed by seven stakeholder groups:

• National Agricultural Research Systems from the south (Southern NARS)
• National Agricultural Research Systems from the north (Northern NARS)
• the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR) and Non-CGIAR International Agricultural Research Centres (IARCs)
• Farmers' Organizations (FOs) 
• Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
• the Private Sector (PS)
• Donors and Development Agencies.

One of GFAR's key strengths is that it provides a common meeting place in which all seven stakeholder constituencies can participate, and bring together their comparative advantages in the research and development process. A Forum of this kind is the ideal platform for addressing issues of global concern, where the participation of a broad and very diverse set of actors is required. Whereas the Forum itself meets formally only every three years during the triennial GFAR Conference (see the GFAR 2000 , the GFAR 2003  and the  GFAR 2006 websites), its stakeholders carry out their programmes continuously in pursuit of their agreed aims, facilitated by the GFAR Secretariat and under the aegis of the GFAR-Steering Committee.

Photo: All the GFAR stakeholders met at the first GFAR Conference in May 2000 in Dresden (Germany)