Food Security Research in SLU-hosted Symposium in Uganda

Participants of the SLU Africa Food
Security Research Symposium.
Photo: Hotel Metropole.

During 4-6 of December 2012 the SLU Africa Food Security Research Symposium took place in Kampala, Uganda. The symposium, which was hosted by SLU Global, was a result of the 40 milllion SEK that the Swedish government allocated to SLU to support food security. The Ambassador of Sweden in Kampala and representatives from Sida, AGRA, ANAFE, RUFORUM and TEAM-Africa are attended the symposium. Within the UD40, a cluster of research projects is funded over two years (2011-2012).

The symposium in Kampala was an opportunity for participants to share their findings, discuss lessons learned and, particularly, prepare plans for future collaboration in their specialty areas with project partners.

Partnership between research, education and extension is the key in the development of a sustainable African agriculture, reports Arvid Uggla, Director of SLU Global.

Current projects at SLU include research in collaboration with partners in Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and Central Asia and cover topics from plant genetics, reproductive health of cattle, to gender perspectives in agriculture and forestry.

 In 2010 the Swedish government, via its Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD), allocated 40 million SEK to SLU to support food security related research projects in collaboration with partners in Africa and elsewhere. ‘UD40’ is the collective name for the cluster of research projects financed by this allocation which was to be run over two years, 2011 and 2012.