2008 Press Releases
02.09.2008
A new initiative aimed at improving food security in Africa, which will combine the strengths of UCC and the Institute of International Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria (IITA), was launched today (Tuesday, September 2nd 2008) by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Micheál Martin at UCC.
Both institutions have come together to create a PhD Research Scholars Programme and each student funded under the scheme will conduct up to four years of advanced level agricultural research on crops, in both UCC and IITA.
The IITA is one of eight international pro-poor agricultural research centres of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture research (CGIAR) which are funded by Irish Aid. Based in Nigeria, it has more than 100 international research scientists in stations across Africa (e.g. Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda). IITA research mission is focused on enhancing food security and improving the livelihoods of African smallholder farmers.
IITA has a specific research focus to develop a range of staple crops of the poor. Many of these crops are of little commercial or internationally traded interest, yet are vital for the food security of millions of the poor in Africa and worldwide. IITA conducts research on staple crops such as cowpea, soybean, banana, plantain, yam, cassava and maize.
Public-sector agricultural research on such staple crops plays a critical role in maintaining and improving yields, enhancing nutrition and helping poorer farmers adapt to the effects of climate change. The research is recognised as a strategic component of international development efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of the current food price crisis on poorer farmers and consumers. Almost 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are employed in agriculture which plays a key role in achieving the first Millenium Development Goal (MDG) to reduce by half the number of people who live in poverty.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement between the IITA CGIAR Centre, and the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (SEFS), UCC, has been agreed and signed in order to provide for the exchange and collaborative-supervision of UCC-IITA Research Scholars for research into topics of relevance to the development mandate of the IITA.
A joint UCC-CGIAR recruitment process is now underway for PhD research students who will conduct crop and agricultural research on staple crops of the poor in Africa, working closely between the IITA and plant and agricultural research groups located at SEFS, UCC. Each student will conduct up to four years of advanced crop research leading to a PhD qualification, on research for development (R4D) to improve food security and improve rural livelihoods across Africa.
Dr Peter Hartmann, Director General of IITA attended the launch along with Minister Micheál Martin, Dr Michael Murphy, President, UCC; Professor Patrick Fitzpatrick, Head of College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (SEFS) UCC and Dr Charles Spillane, Department of Biochemistry/Biosciences Institute, UCC.
A public presentation by Dr Hartmann on the work and activities of IITA followed the launch.
Picture: Dr Michael Murphy, President, UCC; Micheál Martin TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs; and Dr Peter Hartmann, Director General of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria at the launch at University College Cork of a major new food security initiative for Africa.
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