International potato diseases detection workshop; Harbin, China; July 2012

What: 2012 International training workshop on potato diseases detection techniques.

About: Sharing China's know-how/techniques of the detection of the diseases of seed potatoes.

Where: Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.


Organizer: Ministry of Agriculture of China (Harbin); Supervision & Testing Center for Virus-free Seed Potatoes.

Working Language: English


Expenses: Accepted participants are to fund their own travel to and from their countries to the airport or railway station of Harbin. Accommodations, group traveling and insurance in Harbin will be taken care of by the Chinese government.

When: July 5- July 24, 2012.

Closing date for applications: June 1, 2012.

Contact and Application Details:  
 
Contacts: Liu Weiting (Angela)

Mobile: 86-138 4512 9354

Tel: 86-451-86677452

Fax: 86-451-86677452

E-mail: potatotraining@yahoo.com

Masters and PhD scholarship in Agriculture for African countries, Australia 2012-2013

Masters and PhD Scholarship in Agriculture for African Country citizens to study at an Australian university, Australia 2012-2013

Study Subject(s): Agriculture

Course Level: Masters and PhD

Scholarship Provider: Australian Government

Scholarship can be taken at: Australia

Eligibility:

A citizen of one of the following eligible African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, The Gambia and Uganda.

- Applicants must normally be a resident in their country of citizenship, however some exceptions may be accepted (refer to eligibility criteria (b) on page 8 below)

-Satisfy the minimum eligibility criteria for Australian Development Scholarships (attached), including meeting Australian tertiary institution entry requirements.

-In most cases this will require that candidates possess a qualification that is assessed to be the equivalent to an Australian Masters degree and be able to demonstrate a capacity to undertake independent research. ? A minimum of two years relevant post- Masters work experience relevant to your proposed field of study is preferred.

- English proficiency of a standard at least equivalent to IELTS 6.5 with no band score less than 6.0. Note that some universities will require a higher score (if required, the further English language proficiency testing will be facilitated by the Australian Government if you are short-listed for a selection interview)

Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes

Scholarship Open for Students of Following Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, The Gambia and Uganda

Scholarship Description: The Australian Government is offering 20 PhD-level Australia Awards (Scholarships) to candidates from eligible African countries for agriculture-related studies commencing in Australia in 2013. The scholarships are for study in Australia at an Australian university however it is preferred that any field research is undertaken primarily in Africa. The research topics of successful applicants will demonstrate a contribution to improving food security in Africa through increasing agricultural productivity, improving rural livelihoods through functioning of markets and trade, and/or building the resilience of communities most vulnerable to food insecurity. In addition, topics should demonstrate direct relevance to the research or development objectives of one or more of the three Australia-Africa Agricultural Partnerships being funded under the Australian Food Security Program in Africa (ACIAR – CIMMYT; CSIRO – CORAF; and CSIRO – BecA).

How to Apply: Post

Scholarship Application Deadline: 30 April 2012

more...Australia Government

Indian research institute offers short courses for African food processing professionals

About: Two Short Term Training Programmes on "Upgradation of Food Testing Skills of Food Processing Professionals" under "India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)-II; announcement asking for participants

Goal: Building Capability in the area of Food Safety in different countries of Africa.

Where: Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Dehli, India

When: January 09-23, 2012 and during February 01-15, 2012

Cost: These programmes would be completely funded by the Government of India under the aegis of India Technical Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) as a part of India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)-II. The funding includes economy airfare (most economical route), lodging, boarding (accommodation and food) and training fee. The participants will also be given some subsistence allowance for the period.

Shriram Institute for Industrial Research has been given the responsibility of organizing these training programmes at their center in Delhi, India so that it can transfer the know-how regarding different aspects of determining the level of toxic contaminants in different food products for ensuring the safety of food products.

The objective of these programmes is to upgrade the skills of scientists involved in assessment and certification of various food products for their quality and safety in different countries of Africa.

Institutes are invited to nominate their scientists for these programmes. The number of seats for each programme is limited to 25. There will be a selection criteria to fill the seats and therefore, there can be more than one nomination from one organization for the programme.

The nominees should be meeting following criteria:-

- Age:25-40 years

- Qualifications & Experiences: Graduate/Post Graduate in Sciences/ Food Technology/Microbiology/Chemistry, preferably with 1-2 years experience working in research/quality certification/inspection /regulatory affairs of food safety in the area of food, agriculture and water.

Further queries related to the subject matter may be forwarded to the following contact persons.

Mr. Virendra Seth + 91 9818360623 (Email: vseth@shriraminstitute.org / sridlhi@vsnl.com)

Dr. Manjeet Aggarwal +91 9811239472 (Email: manjeet@shriraminstitute.org

Dr. Sanjay Rajput +91 9868144455 (Email: rajput@shriraminstitute.org)

More Information: http://www.shriraminstitute.org/

A Swiss organic farming training manual for Africa, funded by the Gates and Syngenta foundations: are organic agriculture’s promoters selling out to their ideological foes?

by Chido Makunike

A new organic farming manual for trainers of African farmers has been published by the Switzerland-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL.) It is hoped that the African Organic Agriculture Training Manual will ‘’encourage application of new technologies for sustainable agriculture.‘’  

FiBL has a solid reputation in the promotion of organic agriculture. There is also no serious doubt that some variation of organic agriculture is what the vast majority of African farmers employ. Any initiatives to improve their efforts must be considered welcome.

There are some who pooh-pooh organic agriculture as part of the reason for low productivity in African farming. However, until the critics also provide realistic answers to how to widely avail African farmers of fertilizers and other external inputs, these remain mere ivory tower arguments.

According to a September 29 2011 media release, ‘’the manual is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture.’’   

The Gates Foundation has thrust itself to the center of developments in African agriculture, to mixed views. It has carefully distanced itself from charges that it is an advance army for the introduction of GM technology, still an emotive issue in much of Africa. But these denials are considerably weakened by the foundation’s investments in Monsanto, the leading commercial force in GM seed technology. In the minds of some, fairly or unfairly, it becomes very difficult to separate the Gates Foundation’s philanthropic activities in African agriculture from its stake in Monsanto’s commercial activities, despite the foundation’s protests that the two are entirely separate and unrelated. 

Syngenta may have a ‘sustainable agriculture foundation,’ but its fame is as a purveyor of synthetic agro-chemicals, which even supporters and users would have a hard time convincingly arguing can be considered ‘sustainable.’ Not as well known is that it is also a significant player in the development of GM seeds.

For now, Africa may constitute a relatively small market for GM technology and agro-chemicals, but this could change explosively in coming years. It is hardly surprising that companies like Monsanto and Syngenta are positioning themselves for the windfall if and when that happens.  

Sometime during the work of compiling the manual, which FiBL on its website said begun in 2009, the organization said it was a ;‘a collaboration of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), National African Organic Agricultural Movements (NOAMs) and agricultural experts from all parts of Africa.’'

Given the foregoing, it is easy to see why the Gates and Syngenta Foundations would be happy to be associated with such a training manual. On a simple philanthropic level, it must be assumed that they are glad to assist with an effort that addresses where many African farmers they hope might be their future customers are now in their farming developarly as ideological as many activists who claim to speak on their behalf. The small but growing farmer of today may well be the purchaser of hybrid or GM seed tomorrow, or of herbicides.  

The Gates and Sygnenta foundations can likely also count on the quite considerable benefit of association with the chain of organizations said to have been involved in putting together the manual.

Whatever criticisms there are of it, organic agriculture is undoubtedly a politically correct cause in Africa, unlike GM seeds and agrochemicals. For the Gates and Syngenta foundations, funding a training manual for organic farming in Africa is a low bucks, high-return way to be linked to a sexy, feel-good cause. It can to some extent be used effectively to offset the negative associations (fair or unfair) of being perceived by some as greedy commercial interests wanting to make poor African farmers dependent on expensive, inappropriate proprietary seed and chemical technologies.  

That the organic farming manual is said to have been put together with the input of many ostensibly on-the-ground organizations obviously adds to its cachet for those who fund it. 

But if the many benefits for the Gates and Syngenta foundations of funding the manual seem fairly obvious, it is not quite as easy to see why the beneficiaries who put together the manual would accept funding that seems at best highly controversial. If the donor foundations have much to gain, the recipient organizations would seem to have at least as much to lose by being perceived by some as having been compromised and ‘bought’ by their ideological opponents.

According to the ‘principles of organic agriculture,’ the voluntary practitioners of this type of farming accept that it does not, cannot go hand in hand with the use of GM seeds and most synthetic agrochemicals. While the Gates and Syngenta foundations may deliberately sell what they support very broadly, FiBL and its manual-compiling partners would seem to have a set of defining beliefs that would put them fundamentally at odds with Syngenta, and arguably also with a good part of the work of the Gates Foundation, particularly (but not only) if the Monsanto shareholding angle is taken into account.

Formal organic agriculture is not taken terribly seriously by most African governments as a significant contributor to the continent’s farming and economy, despite the frequently heard ‘organic agriculture can feed the world’ mantra. It is mostly treated as the default position from which Africa must move on. Arguably, lobbying/advocacy for organic agriculture to be better understood and supported by African governments is its most pressing need, rather than yet another pretty training manual.

One also wonders if African farmers are not a lot more knowledgeable than many activists repeatedly think them to be, as shown by how many ‘projects’ to supposedly help them are structured. Very often, the major stumbling block for small scale farmers to making big productivity gains is not so much lack of know-how of techniques appropriate to them, but lack of the means to apply them. PDF training manuals do nothing to address this.       

Many ‘sustainable agriculture’ proponents/GM opponents seemed to have been caught off guard by Kenya’s recent open embrace of GM maize imports, with local cultivation not far off. However you soften the blow, this was a huge setback for GM opponents, of whom the promoters of organic agriculture would have been expected to be in the lead.

Yet a curious aspect of the aftermath of Kenya’s announcement was the deafening silence of some of the leading African and other proponents/defenders of organic agriculture. A few did raise their heads, but many seem to have curiously lost their voices.   

Africa is clearly going to use a mix of agricultural technologies to try and meet its food and economic needs. It is helpful and useful for understanding the range of choices on offer when their various proponents can speak clearly and independently, so the competing pros and cons can be well understood and evaluated for appropriateness.

When proponents of organic agriculture accept funding support from pushers of methodologies that have hitherto been said to be fundamentally incompatible with organic farming, it sends very confusing signals. Perhaps more ominously, it suggests a chilling of what should be free, open and robust debate on the different agricultural development pathways on offer.    

Perhaps the new FiBL organic farming training manual will help some African farmers, if there really is a significant number who don’t understand the importance of weeding, how to make compost, and why/how to apply mulch. But does the odd-seeming source of the FiBL manual’s funding not represent a retreat, a capitulation, a surrender to monied interests whose methods negate a lot of the core of what organic agriculture is said to stand for?

African Agriculture 

Seed potato technology course, The Netherlands, June 2012

Course: Seed potato technology, certification and supply systems




About: 1) to improve the participants’knowledge of the technical, organisational, institutional and socio- economic aspects of seed potato supply systems

             2) to increase participants’ expertise concerning all major aspects of seed potato production...



Where: Wageningen, The Netherlands,




When: 4 – 30 June 2012




Deadlines: 1) for admission application directly to Wageningen with other funding: is 4 May 2012.

                    2) Fellowship application deadline: October 01 2011



Website: Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation

Course: assessing indigenous fertilizer production opportunities in Africa, Dec 2011, Tanzania

Course: Assessing indigenous fertilizer production opportunities in Africa; How to evaluate fertilizer development opportunities



Who: International Fertilizer Development Organization (IFDC)



When: December 5-9, 2011



Where: Arusha, Tanzania



Website: IFDC

IFDC Training Program: Linking Farmers to Markets, November 21-25, 2011

What: Training Program; Linking Farmers to Markets

By: IFDC

When: November 21-25, 2011

Where: Alisa Hotel, Accra, Ghana

Program Fee: US $1,200 (by October 21, 2011) or US $1,400 (after October 21, 2011)

About: The objective of this five-day program is to expand the knowledge and understanding of development professionals from both the private and public sector with a specific interest in farmer-to-market linkages, such as importers, traders and trader organizations; producer organizations; and development projects, donors, NGOs and other agricultural development practitioners. The program will address the theory behind the different components of farmer-to-market linkages.

For more information: www.ifdc.org

New course tackles challenges of water security and international development

The challenges of water security and international development will be tackled through a new Masters degree launched by the University of East Anglia.

Starting in September, the innovative MSc Water Security and International Development looks at 'water security' in its broad political ecology and economy sense, with the hydrological cycle connected to critical global policy concerns – such as climate change, food trade and security, and energy security - and in turn the international co-operation that affects human, community, regional and state security.

Prof John Beddington, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, has said the world faces a ‘perfect storm’ of problems arising from shortages of food, water and energy by 2030.

The MSc Water Security and International Development aims to prepare students for employment in a wide range of areas with different employers, including non-governmental organisations, government aid agencies, and scientific and multilateral institutions.

Course director Dr Mark Zeitoun said: “Inextricably linked to people's welfare and livelihoods, water is a resource of fundamental importance to environment and development concerns. With the pressures of increasing population, a changing climate, and heightened conflicts, water security is of increasing concern for policymakers and organisations across the world.”

He added: “This new programme provides students with the latest interdisciplinary theory and tools to address the challenges ahead. They’ll be encouraged to critically reflect on the practical and theoretical facets of the concept 'water security', with a view to develop a better foundation upon which to achieve developmental and environmental objectives. It is truly interdisciplinary, as this is the only approach we can take to tackle the challenges, and students will benefit from the expertise of world-class natural and social scientists.”

The MSc Water Security and International Development will be run by the School of International Development at UEA, through the Water Security Research Centre and in co-operation with the School of Environmental Sciences. It builds on the success of water security short courses launched by the centre for policymakers and practitioners. All tutors on the MSc programme are well known internationally for their work on water and climate change, irrigation, hydrogeology, catchment management, politics, conflict and allocation.

The MSc Water Security and International Development is offered over one year full-time or two years part-time.

For further details and to apply, visit www.uea.ac.uk/dev/courses/msc-water-security-and-international-development

Agriculture doctorate fellowships in Australia for African applicants

Australian government offers Doctorate scholarship in the field of Agriculture in Australia-2011

Study Subject(s):Agriculture

Course Level:PhD

Scholarship Provider: Australian government

Scholarship can be taken at: Australia

Eligibility: You must meet the general minimum eligibility criteria for Australian Development Scholarships, including Australian tertiary institution entry requirements (in most cases this will require that candidates possess an Australian recognised Masters Degree or equivalent).

-You should have a minimum of 2 years relevant post- Masters work experience with your current employer or an employer of equal relevance to your proposed field of study.

-Fieldwork is required to either be Africa-based (preferred) or in an Australian field location with direct applicability and transferability to a relevant African context.

-You must be willing to make a formal commitment to return to your current employment following completion of the award.

-You must have English proficiency of a standard at least equivalent to IELTS 6.5 (if required, English language proficiency testing will be arranged and paid for by the Australian Government if you are short-listed for a selection interview).

-You must be no more than 50 years of age at the date of application.

-Female candidates are encouraged to apply. People with a disability are encouraged to apply.

Scholarship Open for Students of Following Countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique or Tanzania Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania or Uganda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Gambia

Scholarship Description: The Australian Government is offering 15 PhD-level Australian Development Scholarships for the 2012 Intake (i.e. for a PhD that would begin in January 2012). The scholarships are for study in Australia at Australian Universities although it is preferred that any field research is undertaken in Africa. Scholarships cover airfares to Australia, tuition fees, medical cover, a living allowance and a return airfare to your country of citizenship/residence in Africa in order to carry out fieldwork/research, a contribution to research costs (CRC), and yearly reunion airfares (where applicable). Female applicants and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Study in Australia is subject to the successful applicant being issued with a visa by the Australian Department of Immigration & Citizenship (DIAC). As part of the visa application process, immigration authorities require candidates to undergo a full medical examination including a chest X-ray and an HIV/AIDS test. Information about priority sectors, target groups and compliance criteria for the scholarships is outlined in the attached ‘Desired Applicant Profile’.

How to Apply: Online or by Post

Scholarship Application Deadline: 31 July 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application