For over 50 years, International Association Of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD, www.iaald.org) has been the leading global community of practice for information specialists contributing to a more productive and sustainable use of the world's land, water, renewable resources, and improved livelihoods of rural communities. Its mission is to enable members to create, capture, access and disseminate information to achieve a more productive and sustainable use of the world's land, water, and renewable natural resources.

Initially IAALD has holding a World Congress every 5 years bur in recent years it is held once in 2 years. The past World Congress were held in Ghent, Belguim (1955), Suttgart, Germany (1960), Washington D.C., USA (1965), Paris, France (1970), Mexico City, Mexico (1975), 1980 Manila, The Philippines, Ottawa, Canada (1985), 1990 Budapest, Hungary, Melbourne, Australia (1995), Dakar, Senegal (2000), Lexington, Kentucky, USA (2005), Tokyo, Japan (2008) and Montpellier France (2010).

The IAALD XIV World Congress 2012 is hosted by the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information Technology (www.daiict.ac.in) Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in India. World Congress 2012 aims to provide a joint platform for ICT, ICM, development experts and stakeholders to discuss/dialogue, based on experience and evidence, the contemporary issues and ideas on the theme ICTs: Enabling Innovation for Enhancing Rural Livelihoods in an era of rapid technological change and demands for demonstrating the impact of technological innovation, especially in the use of ICTs, on rural livelihoods and development. It will catalogue these experiences and evidence in developing need-based and demand-driven information and knowledge systems which include innovative ICT applications for enhancing rural livelihoods.

We look forward to welcoming the global community to the World Congress 2012.