GCHERA was formed as a result of shared concern for the future of the planet and a conviction that higher education in agriculture should play a leadership role in solving problems associated with food security and environmental sustainability. The consortium aims to include and serve institutions with programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and natural resources management, including the biological, physical and social sciences dimensions of these fields. The founders designed the organization to be helpful to institutions world wide that are working to make significant reforms in their systems of higher agricultural education.