GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE QUARTERLY THE 1890 UNIVERSITIES CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE
SPRING 2022
TRANSFORMING GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Since its creation in 2020, the Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense (CEGFSD) has forged concerted efforts to address food security and defense challenges encountered in four target subregional clusters including West/Central Africa, East/Southern Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. In addition to supplying the U.S. with a globally educated workforce, the Center’s initiatives address critical needs in the area of global food security and defense including (1) strengthening agricultural development in developing countries; (2) engaging international researchers in addressing new and emerging animal and plant pests and diseases; (3) engaging in agricultural disaster recovery; and (4) continuing activities carried out by the Center of Excellence for International Engagement and Development (CEIED). The Center relies heavily on its international and domestic partners to achieve its goals. The CEGFSD’s partners include the nineteen 1890 land-grant universities, the 1890 Universities Foundation and many international public and private sector partners. The CEGFSD is one of six centers of excellence at 1890 universities identified in the U.S. Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The Center is supported with funds from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and is hosted by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and brings together all nineteen 1890 universities.
IN THIS ISSUE 1
Transforming Global Food Security and Defense Through Strategic Partnerships
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Message from the Director
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The Center’s West Africa cluster examines cowpea innovations to increase incomes and food security in Northern Ghana
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Exploring new value addition methods and engaging stakeholders in food processing training in Kenya
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Southern University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore engage DRC scientists and policy makers in teaching, research, and outreach programs
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The Center’s Caribbean cluster trains stakeholders in small ruminant production
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The Pan-American virtual symposium explores collaboration and engagement among global food security partners
The Center held its inaugural technical Advisory Council Meeting
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Dear Stakeholders, I am delighted to bring you greetings on behalf of the Secretariat of the 1890 Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense (CEGFSD). This is the very first of what will be a quarterly bulletin with news and updates on the Center’s activities. While only a few articles are included here, the Center’s activities are being implemented by a partnership of nineteen 1890 universities, together with various international partners. Please look out for the next installment of the newsletter in June. With very best wishes. Moses T. Kairo, Ph.D., DIC Director
THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE HELD ITS INAUGURAL TECHNICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING
Center projects have been implemented in 16 countries.
The Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense’s (CEGFSD) Advisory Council (AC) held its first meeting on June 30, 2021 with the participation of its members, CEGFSD’s Governing Board members and Core Administration, the 1890 Universities Foundation, the Association of Research Directors (ARD), and the Association of Extension Administrators’ officials. The AC recommendations included the increase in study/research abroad opportunities for the 1890 universities system’s students and faculty and the use of hybrid program delivery methods including the organization of online/remote training programs and the combination of both face-to-face and online approaches as an alternative strategy during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, modeling and forecasting analyses could also be implemented as a strategy for enhancing global food security. The Center was also advised to organize a summit on global food security and defense in the near future. In its quest for collaborative partnerships, the CEGFSD will engage several organizations including
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domestic research centers such as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and international agricultural research centers such as the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), etc. The Center also seeks to influence ARS’s research direction through diversity, equity, and inclusion. Chaired by Ms. Sylvia Megret, ACDI/VOCA President and Chief Operating Officer, the AC provides wideranging advice on the overall advancement of the Center and guidance/direction in the implementation of the Center’s mission and accomplishment of its broad goals and priorities. The AC also supports the planning and implementation of the Center’s information sharing and public relations and provides advice and recommendations on partnership development and expansion of the Center’s activities. The AC term duration is a three-year renewable term.
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE QUARTERLY • SPRING 2022
THE CEFGSD’S WEST AFRICA CLUSTER EXAMINES COWPEA INNOVATIONS TO INCREASE SMALLHOLDER FARMERS’ INCOME AND FOOD SECURITY IN NORTHERN GHANA Under the leadership of Dr. Osei Yeboah of North Carolina A&T University (NCA&T) in collaboration with Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) scientists, “the Ghana value-added cowpea project”, one of the 12 CEGFSD’s initial projects, has trained more than 1,200 stakeholders on several topics including the benefits of cowpea utilization in Northern Ghana. The project has impacted Ghanaians in many ways including the utilization of value-added processed cowpea /food products to improve household nutrition. A community level nutrition sensitization outreach has been promoted to improve the utilization of cowpea products to address food insecurity and malnutrition in low income households. This project has also improved the skills of several smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana as follows: 200 farmers increased their knowledge in cowpeas and maize post-harvest techniques; 210 farmers enhanced their knowledge and skills in best husbandry practices and crop residue management; 145 farmers increased maize and cowpeas planting skills, as well as fertilizer application skills through the 4Rs demonstration (right source, dose, timing, and placement of fertilizer).
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE QUARTERLY • SPRING 2022
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EXPLORING NEW VALUE ADDITION METHODS AND ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS IN FOOD PROCESSING TRAINING IN KENYA Dr. Everlyn Okoth in partnership with CEGFSD’s scientist, Dr. Caleb Nindo have developed high-value added mango products and promoted the utilization of local crops for food and nutrition security in Kenya. According to Dr. Okoth, Mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit is one of the most important fruit crops in tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is second most important fruit produced in Kenya, after banana with a market share of > 22%. However, a survey of cooperative farmers revealed that farmers face many challenges including the mango value chain’s postharvest losses of >45%; diseases and pest attack; lack of cold value chain facilities; highly seasonal with glut at harvest season and low prices; lack of structured mango aggregation, packaging facilities; and farmers’ limited knowledge and skills on sustainable value addition. The scientists aimed at promoting mango utilization through development of innovative value added products to reduce postharvest losses and improve farmers’ livelihood. The project outcomes were very promising with the dried mango slices of very acceptable quality in terms of color, flavor, texture and overall acceptability. In addition, a train-the-trainer program has been successful training cooperative society members in Kenya through this initiative. The major impact of this project is that the processing of mangoes into dried slices will reduce postharvest losses and create more diversified market outlets for both local and international markets.
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GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE QUARTERLY • SPRING 2022
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE ENGAGE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO’S SCIENTISTS AND POLICY MAKERS IN TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS Faculty from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Southern University (SU) traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in October 2021 to engage Congolese partners in global food security research and outreach opportunities. Drs. Christopher Rogers and Stephan Tubene met with Congolese students, scientists and government officials including the National Institute for Study and Agronomic Research (INERA), the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), and the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) respectively. They also met with smallholder farmers and USAID officials in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DRC. While the meetings with farmers helped the scientists to identify the most pressing global food security challenges faced by the producers, the discussions with INERA scientists contributed to the understanding of cassava and banana/plantain’s current and emerging diseases research opportunities. UNIKIN officials and students also expressed the needs to work collaboratively with their 1890 universities counterparts on specific themes of interest including faculty and students exchange, interlibrary loan opportunities, and other joint research collaborations. A synopsis of potential collaborative projects are discussed as follows. For INERA, the collaboration will consist of implementing a train-the-trainer program with experts from the CEGFSD and INERA, utilizing up-to-date technologies to deliver training to the stakeholders in DRC, and the implementation of training in various aspects of food supply value chains including post-harvest technologies to minimize losses, small-scale processing of cocoa, coffee, etc., and the promotion of new INERA varieties of crops (i.e., rice, cocoa, coffee, banana, etc.). The partnership with UNIKIN will be focused on the establishment of students and faculty exchange programs between UNIKIN and the 1890 universities system. MINAGRI and DRC’s USAID Mission will also partner with the Center for the purposes of establishing MOUs between institutions and leveraging additional funds (buy-in of the Current and Emerging Threat to Crops Innovation Lab (CETC IL) activities by the Mission in DRC) respectively. Finally, collaborative efforts will also seek to address smallholder farmers’ immediate reforestation and staple food needs. This necessitates working closely with INERA to facilitate agroforestry technology transfer to farmers as well as providing training along the food supply value-chains ranging from community seed production system to staple food production, processing, and marketing. GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE QUARTERLY • SPRING 2022
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THE CENTER’S CARIBBEAN CLUSTER TRAINS STAKEHOLDERS IN SMALL RUMINANT PRODUCTION Jamaican small ruminant farmers benefited from the CEGFSD small ruminant specialists’ expertise. Since receiving the grant in 2021 through the Center, Dr. Arthur Goetsch in collaboration with his counterparts have positively impacted small ruminant farmers in Jamaica. Through their project “Fibrous Plant Resources in Jamaica for Ruminant Livestock Production,” the CEGFSD scientists have been able to determine areas of Jamaica, regional climatic, soil, and vegetation conditions, seasons, plant species and stages of growth to be considered in characterizing the nutritional value of high-fiber plant resources in Jamaica available for use in ruminant livestock production systems. The research team also developed and evaluated plant and soil sampling protocols and identified most appropriate means of analyses; and finally created preliminary forage and soil geodatabases to be refined in activities of a subsequent project. The following knowledge and skills have been gained through this project: the establishment of a preliminary forage and soil geodatabase established; the increased knowledge of the nutritional value of fibrous plant resources; and the formulation of least-cost supplements and diets for higher levels and efficiencies of production by ruminant livestock in Jamaica.
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GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE QUARTERLY • SPRING 2022
THE PAN-AMERICAN VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM EXPLORES COLLABORATION AND ENGAGEMENT AMONG GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY PARTNERS
The first Pan American Research and Extension Virtual Symposium on Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources was organized on December 17, 2021 by West Virginia State University under the leadership of Drs. Ayesha Sarker (WVSU), Jose U. Toledo (Southern University (SU)), and Marikis Alvarez (DSU). The symposium, organized in collaboration with the CEGFSD, the 1890 Universities Foundation, and the 1890 Universities’ faculty, had three main objectives: (1) foster international partnerships that strengthen agricultural development in the Latin American and Caribbean countries; (2) engage researchers in addressing new and emerging animal and plant pests and diseases; and agricultural disaster recovery; and (3) foster and strengthen collaborative and integrative multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research and extension activities. Several topics were discussed at the symposium including an overview of the Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense, the policy systems approach to contemporary foodsystems transformation; an overview of programs at
several institutions such as the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), UACh, etc.; an overview of the Center of Excellence for Nutrition, Health, Wellness and Quality of Life; agroecological intensification (CATIE); building graduate programs (UACh); collaborative program between USAID and Delaware State University (DSU); and improving food safety and nutrition through research and extension (WVSU). A group discussion identified common issues which could be addressed via collaborative endeavors. These issues include pine bark beetle and the impact of climate change on food security and defense; emerging issues and technologies; and capacity building. Finally, recommendations were made to continue this conversation with potential international visits and students/faculty exchange opportunities.
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE QUARTERLY • SPRING 2022
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Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense Kiah Hall, Room 1104 Princess Anne, MD 21853
CEGFSD OFFICERS
DIRECTOR
Moses T. Kairo, Ph.D., DIC Professor and Dean
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Stephan Tubene, Ph.D. Associate Professor
PROGRAM COORDINATOR Maricelle Saullo, MBA
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND DEFENSE QUARTERLY • SPRING 2022 The University of Maryland Eastern Shore prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Inquiries regarding the application of Federal laws and non-discrimination policies to University programs and activities may be referred to the Office of Equity & Compliance/Title IX Coordinator by telephone (410) 651-7848 or e-mail (titleix@umes.edu). This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Centers of Excellence at 1890 Institutions. CEIED Award # 2020-3842731514 and, CEGFSD Award: 2021-38427-34838.
The CEGFSD Newsletter is published by the Office of Agricultural Communications. agcomm@umes.edu | 410-651-6084