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UCC project for processing climate-resilient crops in Zimbabwe receives national funding
A University College Cork (UCC) project that will develop solar-powered machines to process climate-resilient grain crops in Africa has received funding from a national programme that aims to eradicate global poverty.
The project, led by Dr Nilushni Sivapragasam of the School of Food & Nutritional Sciences has received €245,878 under the Research Ireland Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Challenge, a programme run in conjunction with Irish Aid.
The United Nations has a series of SDGs, the second of which is Zero Hunger. This goal forms the focus of the current challenge, which sees a total of six research projects developing a wide range of solutions that can contribute to ending hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Dr Sivapragasam will collaborate with Professor Lesley Macheka, Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Zimbabwe on the project entitled ‘Mechanization and sustainable processing of climate-resilient cereal grains’. Climate change has worsened poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition in Zimbabwe. This project aims to improve the lives and food security of rural communities by developing sustainable solutions for processing climate-resilient crops. As current methods are rudimentary, the researchers plan to create solar-powered machines to enhance processing. By-products will also be used to make fermented porridge, promoting a circular economy.
Dr Sivapragasam said: "The development of advanced solar-driven technology to process climate-resilient crops for rural communities in Zimbabwe brings us closer to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By implementing this innovation, we can enhance food access and improve food security through sustainable food production and resilient agricultural practices. It is incredibly rewarding to collaborate on solutions that unite continents through science."
A total of €2.2 million in funding was announced through the programme by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, and Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, for research projects to address the global issues of hunger and food insecurity.
The six projects represent international collaborations between research institutes in Ireland and in Irish Aid partner countries – in this case, South Africa, Malawi, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. The research teams funded will have the opportunity to compete for an overall prize fund of €1 million for the most competitive team as part of this challenge-based funding programme.
Minister James Lawless said: "Today’s funding announcement reinforces Ireland’s commitment to implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With over 700 million people continuing to face food insecurity and malnutrition globally, the research of these six teams can make a real and positive impact at an international level. As these projects progress through collaboration with researchers in Irish Aid partner countries, they will work directly with those most impacted by the challenges they are addressing, delivering tangible solutions to significant societal challenges. I wish the teams every success over the coming months.”
Minister Neale Richmond said: "Ireland is committed to creating a more equal and sustainable world. Investment in transforming global food systems is crucial to delivering on this commitment. Irish Aid’s ongoing partnership with Research Ireland is an important driver of innovative and transformational change. With this Challenge focused on the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger, the projects funded today will help us combat chronic hunger, under-nutrition and gender inequality for food systems transformation."
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO, Research Ireland, said: "The SDG Challenge programme is an inspiring example of the power of international collaboration and strategic research funding. Challenge-based research funding encourages researchers to work directly with those most affected by the problems they seek to address and Research Ireland’s collaboration with Irish Aid has enabled truly international research partnerships. Ireland has a whole-of-government approach to the implementation of the SDGs and the projects funded today are a leading example of this integrated commitment. I look forward to following the progress these teams make as they develop their research projects."
Professor John F. Cryan, UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation said: "I would like to congratulate Dr Nilushni Sivapragasam on her award and her progression in this national SDG challenge programme. In 2022, UCC became the first university in Ireland to undertake a comprehensive mapping of its research to the UN’s SDGs, and this award is further recognition for our researchers as they tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges."