THEMATIC LEAD UPDATE
FOOD SECURITY
AAUN PRDF PROJECTS
A AU N I N T E R N AT IO N A L A F R I C A FO R U M
MAY 11
TH
2015
INDABA HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG
PROJECTS STARTING 2013
1. Evaluating the effectiveness of photosentisization in controlling
aflatoxin accumulation in maize
2. Improved productivity, post-harvest handling, safety and
biosecurity of cowpeas/bambara groundnuts: A value chain
analyses in Eastern, Western and Southern Africa
3. Assessing the benefits of agro-biodiversity in the context of
climate variability and change
4. Integrated design of highly palatable extruded and other foods
for nutrition, health and well-being using selected sustainable
grains and legume fractions
PROJECTS STARTING 2014
5. Surveillance and monitoring of food security for Africa
6. Where does your food come from? Food supply in the context of
trade, agriculture and nutrition
7. Development of sweet potato postharvest handling technologies
for improved safety and quality of fresh and processed forms
8. Enhancing community based farming systems through
integrated and efficient soil-water-nutrient management
regimes in Sub-Saharan Africa: From research to farm business
enterprises
PROJECT 1:
EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PHOTOSENTISIZATION
IN CONTROLLING AFLATOXIN ACCUMULATION IN MAIZE
Partners:
 University of Nairobi (Kenya)
 University of Queensland (Australia)
 Murdoch University (Australia)
 University of Georgia (USA)
 University of Cape Coast (Ghana)
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS
 Knowledge transfer to Prof Sheila Okoth (University of
Nairobi) to enable further training and experimentation in
Africa
 Grant request to AGIAR submitted
 Mobility between University of Nairobi and University of
Queensland
PROJECT 2:
IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY, POST-HARVEST HANDLING, SAFETY
AND BIOSECURITY OF COWPEAS/BAMBARA GROUNDNUTS: A
VALUE CHAIN ANALYSES IN EASTERN, WESTERN AND
SOUTHERN AFRICA
Partners:
 University of Pretoria (South Africa)
 University of Cape Town (South Africa)
 University of Western Australia (Australia)
 University of Ibadan (Nigeria)
 Makerere University (Uganda)
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS
 Building up a multi-disciplinary team (Agronomics, Genetics, Food
Science, Economics)
 Workshop at UP in 2014 that produced a conceptual framework
to guide the proposal development with a focus on:
1. Addressing the low productivity and constraints to postharvest handling (Agronomic and socio-economic)
2. Modernising Bambara/Cowpea systems and value chain
3. Enhancing food, nutrition, health and food safety
CHALLENGES
Commitment from a large and diverse team
Opportunity cost of time high
Geographical divide
Initial geographical scope too wide for a start up project (South
Africa, West Africa, East Africa)
 Lack of contact with channel captains (researchers, policy
makers, entrepreneurs )
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FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES:
 Joint proposal
 Future plans to be discussed at this meeting
PROJECT 3:
ASSESSING THE BENEFITS OF AGRO-BIODIVERSITY IN THE
CONTEXT OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE
Partners:
 University of Cape Town (South Africa)
 Curtin University (Australia)
 University of Western Australia (Australia)
 University of Ibadan (Nigeria)
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS
 Project concept that was developed at previous workshops
and follow-ups
 Currently focussing on development of a funder-directed
proposal
CHALLENGES
 Challenge to work effectively in geographically disparate
teams
Serious problems in meeting in person or even by skype
Spending focused time together productive
 High travelling costs especially between Australia and South
Africa
 Lack of finances
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
 Hope to obtain funding for a significant research project (45 yrs duration) to fund post-graduate studies, encourage
more research and produce more than a few research
papers
PROJECT 4:
INTEGRATED DESIGN OF HIGHLY PALATABLE EXTRUDED AND
OTHER FOODS FOR NUTRITION, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
USING SELECTED SUSTAINABLE GRAINS AND LEGUME
FRACTIONS
Partners:
 University of Ibadan (Nigeria)
 University of Pretoria (South Africa)
 Curtin University (Australia)
 Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture (Kenya)
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS
 MoU: University of Pretoria and Curtin University
 Development of Research Collaboration in the Field of Food
Security
 Four research concept notes developed during first workshop
held in Pretoria , January 2014
 2013/2014 Two research, training and planning visits between
UP and Curtin University
 Curtin University Hadyn Williams Fellowship – Prof JRN Taylor
(2013/2014)
 Curtin University PhD International Scholarship (2015-2017) for
Ms KAP Dovi (UP MSc graduate)
CHALLENGES
 Challenge to work effectively in geographically disparate
teams
 Lack of finances
WAY FORWARD
 Continue with preparation of manuscript on “Potential role of
combinations of some underutilised crops on food and nutrition
security in Africa”
 Continue with extrusion cooking and related research projects at
different universities
 2014: 1 Nigerian PhD student and 3 MSc students (UP)
 2015: 1 new Ghanaian PhD student and 1 new MSc student
(UP); Joint PhD student (Curtin University and UP)
 Focus on development of joint international project proposals for
funding intended research
PROJECT 5:
SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING OF FOOD SECURITY FOR
AFRICA
Partners:
 Curtin University (Australia)
 University of Ghana (Ghana)
 University of Pretoria (South Africa)
 University of Nairobi (Kenya)
First formal meeting for team at this forum
CURRENT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE NEW PROJECT
 2 MSc students from University of Curtin on project
 Project 1: Started with comparative study of the food safety legislation
between Australia and selected African countries
 Project 2: Changes in and implementation of microbiological flora from
farm to retail of free range chicken
FUTURE PLANS:
 Publish findings from both projects, including literature reviews
 Review paper on food safety aspects of chicken processing from farm
level in developing countries
 Focus on development of joint international project proposals for
funding intended research
PROJECT 6:
WHERE DOES YOUR FOOD COME FROM?
FOOD SUPPLY IN THE CONTEXT OF TRADE, AGRICULTURE
AND NUTRITION
Partners:
 University of Sydney (Australia)
 University of Pretoria (South Africa)
 Makerere University (Uganda)
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS
 Multi-skype calls between investigators
 Document review and extraction (UP and Makere)
 Funds used to involve research students in data extraction
and summary
 Initial tables on food consumption and location of food
purchasing available
CHALLENGES
 Distance is a challenge
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FUTURE
OPPORTUNITIES
 Expansion of links with PhD student from the University of Sydney
visiting University of Pretoria and working with UP team on salt policy
analysis
 Initial discussions about evaluation of trans-fate legislation in South
Africa leveraging experience from University of Sydney investigators
 Aiming for 3 publications and looking out for future funding
opportunities
 Envisioning at least 3 papers
 Food supply issues in South Africa
 Food supply issues in Uganda
 Commentary piece on the importance of examining food supply as a
methodology to understanding nutrition challenges
PROJECT 7:
DEVELOPMENT OF SWEET POTATO POSTHARVEST
HANDLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVED SAFETY AND
QUALITY OF FRESH AND PROCESSED FORMS
Partners:
 University of Nairobi (Kenya)
 University of Queensland (Australia)
 Makerere University (Uganda)
ACHIEVEMENTS
 Collaborating teams in close contact – worked on other new
calls
 Desk top situation analyses completed
 Sampling of roots for analyses - ongoing.
CHALLENGES
 Limited/lack of face to face meetings due to geographical
locations
Collaborators from Uganda and Australia only engaged
online
 Limited budget
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
 Not less than two quality publications from current funding
by the end of the year
 Respond to future calls to enhance current work
.
PROJECT 8:
ENHANCING COMMUNITY-BASED FARMING SYSTEMS BY
INTEGRATED AND EFFICIENT SOIL-WATER-NUTRIENT
MANAGEMENT REGIMES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: FROM
RESEARCH TO FARM BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
Partners:
 University of Sydney (Australia)
 University of Ghana (Ghana)
 University of Ibadan (Nigeria)
 University of Nairobi (Kenya)
PROGRESS SO FAR AND FUTURE PLANS

Successful workshop held in Nairobi (23-24 Feb 2015)
 Consortium for Innovative Agricultural Research and Enterprises in Africa
(CIAREA) established
 Focussing on:
 How the stakeholders’ needs could be tailored in each farming
community as dictated by the land holding systems in different regions
of Africa
 How to inspire youth participation in agricultural and associated agrobusiness in Africa
 Two review papers
FUTURE PLANS:
 Concept notes for grant proposal will be developed in the coming months
CHALLENGES
 Challenges in working effectively in geographically disparate teams:
 Difficulties with communications
 Regional differences in biophysical, socio-economic and cultural
characteristics across the SSA
 Related to cultural differences is the divergent agricultural production
systems linked to variable land holding systems, different staple crops and
associated farming systems
 Finding enough funds to support a consortium of this nature will require
development of a variety of projects covering the divergent regions of
Africa
 Other challenges related to publication goal:
 Different work-related attitudes
 Core business of participants interfering with timely completion of
allocate tasks
 Lack of support resources such as relevant publications, internet access
and other auxiliary resources
SUMMARY – CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Challenges
Opportunities
1. Communication
1. Working teams
2. Contact
2. Funding
3. Competing
demands for time
3. Capacity building
4. Finance
4. Publications
DYNAMICS OF COLLABORATION
Forming
Adjourning
Performing
Storming
Norming