Doing Research in Africa: tips and tricks on ethics and funding

28 February 2018. Gent. Doing Research in Africa: tips and tricks on ethics and funding

• Prof. Stef Slembrouck, member of the ethical commission Faculty of Arts & Humanities: Ethics and Africa, a perspective from the humanities and social sciences
• Prof. Robert Rubens, member of the ethical commission Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences: Doing research concerning human health care in Africa
• Prof. Sami Zemni, head of the ethical commission Faculty of Political & Social Sciences: Ethics and doing fieldwork in Africa
• Drs. Eline D'Haene, Dpt. of Agricultural Economics: Ethical clearances in practice
• Coffee
• Dr. Nancy Terryn, University Development Cooperation: VLIR-UOS funding opportunities
• Mrs. Nathalie Vandepitte, EU Unit: EU funding opportunities and support by the EU-cel
• Mr. François Stepman, PAEPARD: ARD funding opportunities agricultural research for development

Mycotoxin Analysis: A Focus on Rapid Methods

Mycotoxin Analysis: A Focus on Rapid Methods.

Kristine Wolf and Florian J. Schweigert (2018) 56 pages

Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa, African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The outbreaks of acute aflatoxin poisoning that tragically killed hundreds of people in Eastern African countries in recent years are a cause for concern. Reports show that chronic aflatoxin exposure is attributable to at least one-third of the liver cancer cases in Africa, making liver cancer the number one cause of cancer mortality in Africa. Africa’s share of the world groundnut trade has dwindled to a mere 4% from high of 77% in the 1960’s at least partly due to difficulty to meet aflatoxin standards of major importing countries. We should also heed the mounting evidence that aflatoxin is associated with childhood stunting and with immune-system suppression. 

The challenge is complex and deserves coordinated efforts. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) collaborated with the African Union Commission (AUC) to make this publication available. Proper detection is the basis to deal with mycotoxins including aflatoxins which are invisible poisons. Considering the limited laboratory infrastructure and capacity in most parts of developing world, it is important to have rapid, reliable and accessible test methods that can be easily adopted.

Webinars Data-driven agriculture and Key data for farmers

22 and 28 February 2018.

Webinar 1. Data-driven agriculture overview

Precision agriculture is a promising set of technologies that is data intensive, but which has limited adoption by small holder farms in Sub-Saharan Africa. Concurrently, current trends in sustainability, traceability, and compliance reporting demand that an ever-increasing amount of data be gathered as part of everyday operations in modern production agriculture.

The use of farm management information systems (FMIS) for decision support has shown great promise for improving farm yields and profitability. However, growers are often unsure of the value of the data that they are providing and/or receiving. How does this data help them make the right decisions to improve their yield and profitability? How do growers and service providers work together to simplify the design and use of farm data? How can smallholder farmers take advantage of data in a mutually valuable relationship with data providers? 

Webinar 2. Key data for farmers

Data becomes significant if it can be linked to information, knowledge and wisdom. Once processed it can be used to generate detailed insights into farm operations and the environment. It assists big and small holder farmers in making data-based operational decisions to optimize yield and boost revenue while minimizing expenses, the chances of crop failure, and environmental impact.

For data driven agriculture to happen we have to distinguish the data streams in the food chain from pre-planting to consumption, for example: data collected and managed from the farm by farmers which can be either static or dynamic; data coming from external sources like market prices and data that is exported for aggregation by other farm service providers. However, farmers may not be in a position to realize those streams and possibly what data and information is required to answer the food chain questions, for example: What produce can I grow where I live? When should I sow/plant/harvest/market it? How should I sow/plant/harvest/market it? All these questions can be answered if the factual data or information is used or made available to the farmers.

FAO-NEPAD webinar on rural youth employment

28 February 2018. Webinar: ‘Rural youth employment: Emerging challenges and targeted solutions

The webinar was the second of a series of webinars on productive employment and decent work in rural areas which we are organizing ion collaboration with NEPAD and DPS FAO. The webinar’s aim was to reach as many actors possible and to raise awareness on the FAO and NEPAD approaches and experience in promoting decent jobs for rural youth in Africa.

Recording of the Webinar forthcoming.

Previous webinar:

Mycotoxins: The Hidden Threat to Human Health in Zimbabwe

Dr. Melody Ndemera - former PhD student
at Ugent/University of Zimbabwe

22 February 2018.Harare, Zimbabwe. “Mycotoxins: The Hidden Threat to Human Health in Zimbabwe”. MYTOX SOUTH dissemination workshop. The workshop was funded by Ghent University Global Minds fund in collaboration with Randox Food Diagnostics and the University of Zimbabwe.

Mycotoxins are dangerous and produced by fungi that can contaminate food. The subsistence farming populations in Zimbabwe are exposed to this fungi through maize consumption and small children, below five years of age, are highly exposed to mycotoxins, which can have serious consequences on health and nutrition status. They can affect growth and development in children.

Higher and Tertiary Education
Minister Professor Amon Murwira

Food safety is one of the key issues in food and nutrition security and should be addressed through research so that our approach to problems is science based. We are gathered here to tap some knowledge and evidence from the research work, which has been done on food safety threat presented by dangerous toxic chemicals, which are produced by fungi on food, toxins called mycotoxins. Research produced by academics in higher and tertiary institutions should be taken seriously and used in policy making to address national problems

Reference:

The Herald of Zimbabwean  ‘Mycotoxins a threat to food safety’ with a message from the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education.

Support African Agriculture as a Business

22-23 February 2018. Arlington, Virginia. Now in its 94th year, the Agricultural Outlook Forum was the USDA’s largest annual meeting, attracting as many as 2,000 attendees from the U.S. and abroad. The forum highlighted key issues and topics within the agricultural community, offering a platform for conversation among producers, processors, policymakers, government officials, and non-governmental organizations, both foreign and domestic.

Extract of the programme

International Markets and Trade
Emerging Markets in Developing Regions
Growing incomes lead to expanding food demand in SubSaharan Africa and Southeast Asia. With a combined population of almost 2 billion, these regions have a growing presence in global agricultural markets and are emerging markets for U.S. agriculture. Dialogue on demand-side changes, developing value chains, and the role of technology, discusses competition and challenges in the region.

Rapid Transformation of Emerging Market Food Systems: Implications for U.S. Exporters
Perspectives on changing food systems, following how the diet transition to processed food spans demand side changes and developments along value chain structures.
Thomas Reardon, Professor and Distinguished Faculty, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI

Strengthening Value Chains to Promote Trade
Strengthening value chains through development, how capacity building creates opportunities on the ground, and challenges to accessing local markets.
Josh Neiderman, Regional Director-Africa, American Soybean Association/World Initiative for Soy in Human Health, St. Louis, MO

Expanding Agriculture Technology and Innovation in Emerging Markets
Historical perspective on how technology and trade change together, linkages between productivity and ability to purchase imported commodities, and implications for the United States.
Steven Elmore, Chief Economist, Pioneer Seeds, Denver, PA

Video coverage:

Upcoming events in Agriculture for Development (ARD)

28 February 2018. Gent, Belgium. Doing Research in Africa: tips and tricks on ethics and funding
28 February 2018. GFAR. Webinar. Farmers' access to data
28 February 2018. Webinar. FAO-NEPAD webinar on rural youth employment. The webinar is the second of a series of webinars on productive employment and decent work in rural areas which we are organizing ion collaboration with NEPAD and DPS FAO. The webinar's aim is to reach as many actors possible and to raise awareness on the FAO and NEPAD approaches and experience in promoting decent jobs for rural youth in Africa.
1 March 2018. Brussels. InfoPoint Lunchtime Conference: Climate-Resilient Sustainable Food Systems
1 March 2018. Brussels. Sourcing while respecting biodiversity: the case of food. The Global Nature Fund, the Belgian Federal Public Service for Health, FoodChain Safety and Environment, Université catholique de Louvain and IPES-food propose an exchange of ideas around food sourcing and biodiversity.
1-3 March 2018. Paris. 5th International Conference on Nutrition and Growth

6-8 March 2018. Nanyuki. Kenya. 3rd ECHO East Africa Pastoralist Symposium
7-9 March. Dakar, Senegal. AAIN Agribusiness Incubation Conference
12-15 March 2018. Bujumbura-Burundi. Workshop on the implication of women and youth in Agri business
13-14 March 2018, London. How business can make smallholder supply chains resilient. Practical ways to use the Sustainable Development Goals
19 March - 19 April 2018. Online Conference. new SALSA e-conference. The first e-conference was to support and give input to the SALSA project (SALSA: Small Farms, Small Food Businesses and Sustainable Food Security, see more here <http://www.salsa.uevora.pt/en/>). This online conference will be about: (a) Cooperation between small farmers; (b) Contributions of small farmers to the resilience of the food system; (c) Past strategies and policies for small farmers to overcome their main challenges; (d) Strategies and policies which would allow small farmers to address
challenges in the future; (e) The way food supply chain businesses might contribute to small farmers; (f) How policies can affect small farms’ activities and decision making
19-20 March 2018. Nairobi, Kenya. 1st Biocontrol Africa Conference
19 March 2018.Washington D.C., USA. WORLD BANK LAND AND POVERTY CONFERENCE 2018.
20 March 2018. Brussels. 'Edible insects for food, feed and food security', organized in collaboration with the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Meise Botanic Garden
21-22 March 2018. Chicago Council Global Food Security Symposium
21-23 March 2018. Nairobi, Kenya. 16th New Ag International Conference
27 March 2018. Brussels. The annual Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA) Debate on the future of European and world agriculture.
3-5 April 2018. Rome, Italy. 2nd International Symposium on Agroecology: Scaling Up Agroecology to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
3-5 April 2018. Manchester. World Symposium on Climate Change and Biodiversity (WSCCB-2018)
5-6 April 2018, Washington DC Can innovation and technology make agriculture sustainable?
This two-day business forum is designed to provide leading discussion and debate around how to leverage technology, climate-smart agriculture and cross-sector collaborations to improve sustainable farming, deliver against company objectives and balance positive impact for farmers, businesses and the planet.
3-5 April 2018. Rome. FAO 2nd International Symposium on Agroecology “Scaling up agroecology to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”
6 April 2018. Rome. Programming Research and Innovation for Improved Impact. The workshop will consist of Key Note Speakers showing how to *ex ante*programme research and innovation for improved impact, at the international, national and regional scales.
9-10 April 2018. Copenhagen. 5th International Conference on Food Security and Nutrition (ICFSN 2018)

9-12 April 2018. Cape Town South Africa. Sorghum in the 21st Century Conference
18-20 April 2018. Berlin, Germany. Global Bio economy summit
22 - 25 April 2018. Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus. World Congress of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR). This Congress is organized in cooperation with the Turkish Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, Akdeniz University and Ege University and it is the most important and the biggest event for the international community of Agricultural Engineers. This Congress will give an excellent possibility to present your current studies, discuss new ideas, technologies, processes, application experiences and machines, developing new collaborations between academics, researchers, developers, engineers, experts, students and also practitioners.

25-26 April 2018. Hohenheim, Germany. Agrinatura General Assembly.
8-10 May 2018. Lusaka, Zambia. Use of ICT for Agriculture and Environment
6-12 May 2018. Uyo, Nigeria. Biodiversity Conference of Nigeria Chapter of SCB
15 -16 May 2018. Nairobi Kenya.  Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Summit
28-31 May 2018. Belfast Summit on Global Food Integrity

31 May -1 June 2018. Pretoria. IAALD – AFRICA CONFERENCE
11-12 June 2018.  EAT Stockholm Food Forum
14-15 June 2018. Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Research; Innovation for Food and Nutrition Security – Transforming our food systems. Second FOOD2030 High Level event.
The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of EU is organising a Flagship Conference dedicated to Research and Innovation (R&I) as a driver of sustainable food systems transformation. This will be the second FOOD2030 High Level event.
18-21 June 2018. Cape Town, South Africa. Adaptation Futures 2018
24-27 June 2018. Mombassa, Kenya. 2nd African Symposium on Mycotoxicology
3 - 5 July 2018. Stuttgart, Germany. 5th International ISEKI Food Conference
25-27 July 2018.cNairobi, Kenya 1st Africa Conference on Evidence to Action (E2A). The Theme of the Conference is “Bridging the Gap: Strengthening connections between research and policy in sub-Saharan Africa.” It is premised on the understanding that contextualizing research and evaluation for Africa has the potential to inform policy decision-making and the achievement of SDGs.
20-24 August 2018. Nairobi. 14th Edition of the African Dairy Conference
5 – 6 September 2018. Hohenheim, Germany. Congress FOOD2030 Towards Sustainable Food Systems
11 - 14 September 2018. Hohenheim. Deutsche Pflanzenschutztagung
16–18 September 2018. Wuhan, China. 2nd Mycokey International Conference.

17-19 September 2018. Gent, Belgium. Tropen Tag. Annual interdisciplinary conference on Research in tropical and subtropical agriculture, Natural Resource Management and Rural Development. Conference theme:Global food security and food safety: The role of universities
24-26 September 2018. Cape Town, Africa Fertilizer Agribusiness Conference.
1-5 October 2018. Addis Ababa. 8th Africa Nutritional Epidemiology Conference (ANEC VIII)
4-7 October 2018. Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. AGROSYM 2018.

7-11 October 2018 in Berlin. IWCSPP 2018 - 12th International Working Conference for Stored Product Protection.
9-11 October 2018. IITA in Ibadan, Nigeria. 1st All Africa Congress on Synthetic Pesticides, Environment, Human and Animal Health

9-12 October 2018. Johannesburg. Second African Congress on Conservation Agriculture
15-19 October 2018. Accra, Ghana. 7th All African Conference on Animal Agriculture (7th AACAA)
30 November-4 December 2018: Addis Ababa Role of Bees in Food Production

ColeACP @ Fruit Logistica

7- 9 February 2018. Berlin. Fruit Logistica. Berlin was transformed into the capital of the global
fresh produce sector for three days during FRUIT LOGISTICA 2018. More than 3,100 exhibitors from over 80 countries presented a comprehensive market overview.

Key objectives for FRUIT LOGISTICA 2018 exhibitors included strengthening customer relations, promoting their company, and developing new business. These objectives were largely achieved.

Business results at the event received a positive assessment from 96 percent of trade visitors – which explains why 95 percent of respondents said they would recommend FRUIT LOGISTICA to others. Some 83 percent of trade visitors generated new business contacts. More than three quarters said that these contacts are likely to generate business deals following the event.

FRUIT LOGISTICA 2018 was attended by top-level decision-makers from all over the world with 82 percent of trade visitors coming from outside Germany. The number of decision-makers among trade visitors remained high. Around two thirds of them held management positions in their companies.

The Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP) had a boot at the fair.

• COLEACP is a civil society organisation (CSO), established in 1973 by stakeholders in the international fruit and vegetable trade. COLEACP is a not-for-profit inter-professional association whose main purpose is to support the development of a sustainable and competitive agriculture and agribusiness. 
• From an operational standpoint, COLEACP is a network and a technical assistance tool for the sustainable and inclusive development of the private sector (SMEs) based on expertise and an active training system in 50 countries (outside the EU). Since its creation, COLEACP has been managing development projects in the ACP agricultural and food sector, financed by donors (mainly the European Union). 

Products from COLEACP:

• PAEPARD
• COLEACP
• PRODEFIMA
• FRUIT FLIES
• PIP PROGRAMME
• EDES PROGRAMME

Related:

14th to 17th February 2018 in Nuremberg, Germany. The Biofach-Vivaness is the world’s leading trade fair for Organic Food in the world and Vivaness, the

 The trading partners The GEPA Fair trade company
are ca. 190 cooperatives, marketing organizations and
committed private enterprises in over 40 countries
of Africa, Latin America and Asia.

largest international trade fair for natural personal care. Around 2,950 exhibitors and more than 50,000 visitors from the national and international organic sector attended the BIOFACH 2018.

Germany is the second biggest market in the world for organic products, right after the USA and the largest market in the Europe, with a total sales of US$10.5 billion reported in 2016 and accounting for 29 percent of sales in the Europe. Followed by France (18 percent), UK (nine percent) and Italy (eight percent). According to German Household statistics in 2016, it was reported a 10 percent growth over the previous year for spending on organic food and beverages. In a recent survey, the German natural cosmetic market is the strongest in Europe with a market share of 8.5 percent and a volume of 1.15 billion sales.

Food Fortification: Scalable Approaches to Prevent Micronutrient Deficiencies in Populations

15 February 2018. Brussels. DevCo InfoPoint. The European Commission intends to seize all opportunities for promoting nutrition-sensitive food systems. Food Fortification aims to contribute to reduction of the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies. The presentations summarized key factors and global experiences in effective and sustainable implementation of biofortification, flour/rice fortification, and fortified complementary foods, as public health interventions.

Introduction: Bernard Rey, Deputy Head of Unit, DEVCO C1 - Rural Development, Food and Nutrition Security

Presentations

• Peg Willingham, Head of Advocacy and Policy, Harvest Plus
• Anna Verster, Coordinator, Smarter Futures
• Saul Morris, Director, Program Services, GAIN

Webstreaming: https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/news-and-events/food-fortification-scalable-approaches-prevent-micronutrient-deficiencies_en

Launch of the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) Platform

14 February 2018. Rome. The Farmer Field Schools (FFS) approach, currently implemented in over 90 countries, enhances food security and sustainable agricultural development. Through this approach, small-scale farmers have been learning how to better manage crop, fish, livestock and tree production while facing climate change and other challenges, and to strengthen collaboration for improved livelihoods since 1989. 

FAO is launched the Global FFS Platform to better connect the worldwide network of practitioners and facilitate the exchange of knowledge, expertise and information.

• Farmer Field Schools – Over 20 years on the road to sustainable agriculture (Anne-Sophie Poisot, AGP)
• Farmer Field School impacts around the globe – Ensuring quality results (Henk van den Berg, Wageningen University)
• The Global Farmer Field School platform (Suzanne Phillips, AGP)

Panel discussion on Field School experiences with participation from:

• Bukar Tijani, ADG, RAF
• Karl Deering, Director, Climate Resilient Agriculture, CARE
• Norman Messer, Senior Technical Specialist, Rural Development/Institutions, IFAD
• Deborah Duveskog, Resilience Team for Eastern Africa, FAO Kenya
• Johannes Ketelaar, FAO Regional Office for Asia

The event was webcast and is available online

Related:

20 and 21 February 2018. Bilbao, Spain. Communication Toolkit for Launch of GFAR Collective Action on Participatory Research 

The World Rural Forum, with other Partners in GFAR, will launch a GFAR Collective Action for “Enhancing participatory processes between Family Farmers, Civil Society/Rural Communities, Research Institutes”, to continue to strengthen the participation of family farmers, civil society organizations, rural communities and their small and medium enterprises in research processes – an agenda long championed through GFAR’s collective actions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of real collaboration in the field and the impacts for rural communities, it is also essential to be able to monitor and measure the impacts of these partnerships between farmers and research for innovation. 

A full design and action plan for this Collective Action will be agreed among participating Partners in GFAR as a basis for joint collaboration. The Collective Action will create a learning space grounded in fostering bottom-up processes, mutual learning, open sharing and breaking down institutional barriers. Through dialogue, with farmers themselves at the center, this Collective Action will bolster and demonstrate the crucial links between research and society, between science and the people who use it to bring food to our tables.

TWITTER Handles: @GFARforum @GFARlive @WorldRuralForum (primary) @Cirad @PROPACinfos @AsianFarmers @COPROFAM @FFP_AgriCord @UCLouvain_be @CGIAR (participating?) @Prolinnova_WCA @EUAgri, #UNFAO, @IFADnews, @Agropolis

Global Forum for Innovation in agriculture

5-6 February 2018. Abu Dhabi.  GFIA 2018  This Forum presented a platform for the government,
the private sector and the community to establish partnerships for cooperation. GFIA saw the participation of around 600 exhibitors displaying their cutting-edge products and services and over 50 game-changing innovations.

Discussion on the visions and strategies to introduce innovation into the future food security equation and agricultural production, set plans to address the challenges and requirements of today and the future, which include diversifying food sources, increasing productivity, and addressing the needs of the private sector which is a cornerstone of all food security plans.

The Forum also seeked to outline pragmatic solutions to increase investment in the agricultural sector, which will guarantee sustainable food security for generations to come.

Olmix Group was awarded for the ‘Best Innovation in Animal Production’ category. The product MFeed+ (Olmix China) is a natural feed additive based on Olmix patented Algae and Clay technology which aims to improve digestion and thus reduce antibiotics use in animal nutrition.

Extract of the programma:

CREATING CHANGE, MAKING INNOVATION HAPPEN
The pace of technological innovation is faster than ever and new technologies and innovators have the potential to help agriculture overcome urgent challenges and reshape the future of food production. How can we ensure the right ideas are scaled up, accepted, adapted and reach those who need them?

• Keynote Address: Open Data: the path to digital transformation/development - André Laperrière, Executive Director, Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN)
• How to increase investment - Reihem Roy, Principal, Omnivore Partners, USA
• Startups and young people in agrifood innovation - Ramy Boujawdeh, Deputy General Manager, Berytech/Agrytech, Lebanon
• Smallholder farming and innovation - Mike Warmington, One Acre Fund, Kenya
• Innovation ladder & open R&D in agriculture - Carla Tanas, Co-founder of Industry Disruptors – Game Changers (IDGC), Co-founder of Future Agro Challenge (FAC), Co-Curator of Disrupt, Startup, ScaleUP

ARD funding opportunities

A G R I C U L T U R E

The African Union Research Grant II – 2018 Edition Open Call for Proposals

This call for proposal responds to the implementation of the Africa’s Science Technology and Innovation Strategy-2024 which addresses the aspirations identified under Agenda 2063 and Priority 3 on Human development of the EU-Africa partnership. The call supports research on: Food & Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) with particular attention on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition. The full Guidelines for Applicants, Application form and other supporting documents are available for downloading under the Event Resources Section located on the webpage: https://au.int/en/aurg. Deadline for submitting applications is May 22, 2018

Rapid Loss Assessment Tool (RLAT) for agribusiness value chains in Southern Africa. 
The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa CCARDESA), with the support of GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ), plans to introduce and promote a Rapid Loss Assessment Tool (RLAT) for agribusiness value chains in Southern Africa. This call is directed to SADC member states and institutions in member countries that engage in agricultural development, extension services and research, agribusiness and rural economics coming from public or private, governmental or non governmental sectors which want to increase their capacity in assessing harvest and post-harvest losses. Deadline 28 February 2018

International Development Research Centre — Food Security in Africa
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research call for cutting edge applied field and/or laboratory research projects with the potential to generate high impact and innovative results with particular impact on the food insecure and poor in Africa.  Priority areas are agriculture, including climate change, sustainable water management, and others. Applicants must be agricultural research systems, universities, government departments, or NGOs from Burundi; Ethiopia; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Rwanda; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; or Zimbabwe. Project budgets must be in the range of CA$1 million to CA$3 million for four years. Deadline 01 March 2018

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations — Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture aims to promote and support the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The goal is to enable farmers from developing countries around the world access to adapted varieties leading to increased productivity. The Benefit-sharing Fund funds single country (maximum funding/project: US$ 250 thousand) and multi-country projects (maximum funding/project: US$ 450 thousand) for up to 48 months. Eligible applicants include governmental and non-governmental organizations, research institutions, and regional and international organizations based in developing countries. Deadline 01 March 2018

JRS Biodiversity Foundation — Information on Freshwater Biodiversity and Pollinator Biodiversity in Africa
The JRS Biodiversity Foundation aims to increase the access to and the use of information for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. The current call for proposals requests multi-year projects focused on biodiversity data, knowledge, and information services related to freshwater biodiversity and pollinator biodiversity in eastern and southern Africa. Preference is for projects that can grow to larger scale, or that can be transferred across geographic regions or across organizational and institutional contexts. Each multi-year grant will range from about US$50 thousand to about US$250 thousand. Deadline 09 March 2018.
U.S. - Egypt science and technology joint fund - Call for research proposals
The U.S. - Egypt Science and Technology (S&T) Joint Fund strengthens scientific and technological capabilities between both countries. Deadline 08 March 2018

PRIMA calls for proposals
Call from the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area 

• Call: Section 1 – Management of Water 2018 Pre-proposals - 17th April, 2018
• Call: Section 1 – Farming Systems 2018 Pre-proposals - 17th April, 2018
• Call: Section 1 – Agro-food Value Chain 2018 Pre-proposals - 17th April, 2018
• Call: Section 2 – Multi-topic 2018: Agro-Food value chain, Farming systems, Management of water: Pre-proposals – 27th March, 2018 

Nestlé Foundation — Human Nutrition in Developing Countries 2018
The Nestlé Foundation supports research in human nutrition in low-income and lower middle-income countries. In relation to agriculture, the Foundation will consider research on food policy, food production, and food technology if the intervention has high potential for improved nutritional status and public health. The Foundation offers training grants, pilot grants, and full project grants. Priority is for proposals submitted by researchers in developing countries, or jointly with partners in developed countries. Deadline 10 May 2018

Ekhaga Foundation – Ecological Agriculture and Biological Medicine 2018
The Ekhaga Foundation makes grants for research in ecological agriculture and biological medicine. Universities, research institutes, etc., from all over the world are invited to apply. Ekhaga requires cooperation with a Swedish institution for applications that do not come from Europe or North America. Deadline 20 May 2018

Conservation, Food and Health Foundation — Local Project Support
The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation supports special projects and programs in the areas of conservation, food, and health in low- and lower-middle-income countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The foundation supports projects that demonstrate local leadership; develop the capacity of local organizations; and address a particular problem or question in the field. Eligibility extends to NGOs, community-based organizations and academic institutions. There is no maximum grant size. The average grant is approx. US$20 thousand. Grants exceeding US$30 thousand are rarely awarded. Deadline 1 July 2018

VLIR call for ‘South Initiatives’

VLIR-UOS, the Flemish Interuniversity Council – University Cooperation for Development, funds cooperation projects between professors, researchers and lecturers in Flanders (Belgium) and Uganda (+ several other countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia). The call for ‘South Initiatives’, ‘TEAM projects’ and ‘JOINT projects’ is for cooperation projects that aim at strengthening the research and education capacity of universities, university colleges or public research institutes in a specific thematic domain. In general, project proposals emerge from a local development problem or need which is addressed through a common initiative taken by one or more academics or lecturers from the South, in collaboration with one or more Flemish academics or lecturers. Also other stakeholders are encouraged to participate (NGO’s, private companies, etc.) in order to create a maximum of synergy and complementarity with other projects in the region/ country. More details will be made available at the website (www.vliruos.be) as soon as the call has been launched (foreseen for 28th of February).

Agribusiness

SEED — SAG-Seed Replicator Workshops for Eco-Enterprises in Ghana

SEED is a global partnership founded by UNEP, UNDP, and IUCN to promote eco-enterprises. The program announces its next replicator workshop in Ghana on 6th of April. The replicator workshop of one day introduce motivated individuals to proven business models from various countries. Deadline 04 March 2018

Tony Elumelu Foundation — Entrepreneurship Program for Africans 2018
The TEF Program fosters and supports start-up enterprises in Africa. TEF combines mentoring, training, forums, seed capital, and alumni support to individuals in Africa proposing new business ideas or early-stage companies in sectors that include agriculture, among others. The program is open to citizens and legal residents ages 18 and older in any African country. Deadline 01 March 2018

African Women’s Development Fund — Empowering African Women

The African Women’s Development Fund supports organizations working towards the empowerment of African women and the achievement of gender equality on the continent. To increase income opportunities for women, projects to be supported should seek to work with smallholder women farmers, and address issues of climate change and food security. Applicant organizations must have at least three years of experience, be led by a woman, and have a focus on women’s rights. Applications from the following countries are specifically encouraged: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Applicants may apply for up to US$50 thousand for one year. Deadline 7 March 2018 

Swedish Agency for Development Cooperation — Planning Grants

The Swedish Agency for Development Cooperation (Sida) seeks applications for its Planning Grants program. Grants are awarded to help entrepreneurs explore new markets and research their technology’s impact on the environment and poverty reduction. The programme’s emphasis is on cleantech products, systems, processes, and services in the following focus areas: climate change adaptation/mitigation; ecosystem services; renewable energy; water and sanitation; and urban development. Eligibility extends to companies or organisations based in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The maximum amount per projects is SEK350 thousand. Deadline 04 March 2018.

International Centre for development oriented Research in Agriculture — International Courses for Agricultural Professionals 2018
ICRA supports education and capacity strengthening in agriculture and the rural sector in the developing world. Among its forms of engagement, ICRA offers specialized training courses each year. Applications are invited for courses that include: “Facing rural innovation challenges – Linking research to inclusive development for food security” (May-June 2018, the Netherlands); and “Building agribusiness relations for sustainable profit – Key skills for inclusive business brokerage” (June-July 2018, Nigeria). ICRA’s courses qualify for NFP/MSP scholarships funded by the Dutch government.Deadline 21 March 2018


BMCE Bank of Africa — African Entrepreneurship Award 2018
The African Entrepreneurship Award is a business competition inviting young African entrepreneurs to submit their entrepreneurial ideas in two categories, one of which is “Innovation” for projects and business ideas that aim to solve pressing issues in Africa. This refers to business proposals that innovate to create jobs and improve lives addressing problems in areas such as food security, water access, sustainable energy, deforestation,and others. Submissions are invited from for-profit businesses managed by Africans who are at least 18 years old. Deadline 30 April 2018

Techstars — Global Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs
Techstars provides funding and mentorship programs for entrepreneurs. Techstars Impact Accelerator is for for-profit founders building tech to solve social & environmental problems. Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator is for entrepreneurs focussing on the tech/digital side of food and agriculture. The Techstars Sustainability Accelerator, in Partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is for entrepreneurs with commercially viable technologies that can rapidly scale to help sustainably provide food and water and address global issues like climate change. Each selected project team receives up to $120 thousand startup investment. Deadline 8 April 2018

African Leadership Academy — Anzisha Prize for Young Innovators 2018
The Anzisha Prize is awarded to young innovators ages 15-22 in Africa who develop and implement innovative solutions to challenges facing their communities. Past awards include innovations in energy, agriculture, and ecological consumer products. The grand prize winners will share prizes worth US$100 thousand. Deadline 1 April 2018

Common Fund for Commodities — 12th Call for Proposals
The CFC calls for proposals that advance commodity development in its member countries. Funding is targeted mainly to for-profit organizations and social enterprises for production, value chains, and marketing across a wide group of commodities (agricultural crops, tree crops, timber, bamboo and rattan, minerals, and others). Deadline 15 April 2018

Global Giving — Crowdfunding Training Opportunity
GlobalGiving is an online platform to raise funds for grassroots projects worldwide across many sectors and themes – including in agriculture, energy, environment, and natural resources. GlobalGiving announces a new Accelerator program that will offer virtual training in online fundraising and participation in a two-week crowdfunding campaign. The program is open to nonprofit organizations anywhere in the world. Organizations that successfully complete the GlobalGiving Accelerator by raising at least US$5 thousand total from a minimum 40 different donors will earn permanent membership with GlobalGiving, in addition to publicity and bonus prizes. Deadline 1 May 2018

Thought for Food Foundation — Thought For Food Global Challenge
The Thought for Food Foundation invites young teams to develop breakthrough solutions that address the global challenge of feeding 9+ billion people by the year 2050. TFF Challenge participants can win up to $25 thousand in cash prizes and participate in the TFF Startup Bootcamp, a 12-week workshop for social entrepreneurs. Deadline 4 May 2018

Right Sharing of World Resources — Seed Grants for Women’s Micro-Credit Projects
Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) makes seed grants to support income-generating projects led by women. RSWR’s current priorities are grassroots organizations selected states and districts of India; Quaker groups in Kenya; and grassroots organizations in Sierra Leone. Projects include many in the production and sale of fruits and vegetables; meat and milk; grain crops; fish; fuelwood; and other enterprises associated with small-scale agriculture and rural livelihoods. Deadline 30 June 2018

Conservation, Food, and Health Foundation — Grants for Grassroots Development
The CFH Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations for projects in conservation, sustainable agriculture, and health in low- and lower-middle-income countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. It prefers to support organizations located in low- and middle-income countries, or organizations located in upper-income countries whose activities are of direct benefit low- and middle-income countries. Most recent grants range from US$10 thousand to US$30 thousand. Deadline 1 July 2018

Bio-diversity, environment, climate change

UK Department for International Development — Research on Economic Growth in Developing Countries (Phase 3)
The IGC invites proposals with focus on delivering research and policy products to developing countries with the aim of creating jobs and reduce poverty. The topics include improving access to and quality of energy services for households and firms; rural electrification; energy efficiency; and the effects of energy consumption on health and the environment. Deadline 05 March 2018

German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) — NAMA Funding for Low-Carbon Development (5th call)
Germany’s BMU is a partner of the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change in establishing the NAMA Facility to address climate change (promotion of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions). The Facility announces its fourth call for project proposals from national governments and qualified delivery organizations in developing and emerging economies. The NAMA Facility is open to fund NAMAs across a range of countries and sectors. Deadline 15 March 2018.

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation — International Climate Protection Fellowships 2018
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation offers 20 fellowships for young climate experts from developing countries interested in conducting a project in Germany and pursuing long-term collaboration. The fellowship allows future leaders to spend a year in Germany working on a research-based project of their own choice in the field of climate protection. Deadline 01 March 2018.

IUCN-Netherlands — Land Acquisition for Conservation 2018
The World Conservation Union in the Netherlands (IUCN-Netherlands) provides grants up to €85 thousand for the purchase and protection of threatened wildlife habitats and vulnerable ecosystems in Asia-Pacific countries, Africa, and Latin America. The grants are to qualified and experienced local conservation organizations. Deadline 01 May 2018.

United Nations University — Climate Fellowship Programme
The UNFCCC–UNU Early Career Climate Fellowship Programme offers young people from developing countries the opportunity to start their career at the interface between international climate policy development and research. Fellowships may last from six months to two years. Climate Fellows will be able to work in their home countries or internationally, deploying the valuable experience and insights they have gained during the programme. Qualified women candidates and candidates from least developed countries are especially encouraged to apply. Applications are accepted two times a year. Deadline 16 July – 16 August 2018.

New England Biolabs Foundation — Grants for Grassroots Conservation 2018
The New England Biolabs Foundation makes grants to grassroots and charitable organizations to support conservation of biological diversity; ecosystem services; community food security; and marine environment. The geographical scope focuses on Ghana and Cameroon in West Africa. Maximum grant size is US$10 thousand. Most grants are US$3 thousand to US$8 thousand. Deadlines 16 March 2018 and 13 August 2018

Fellowships/scholarships/grants

Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture — Agricultural Scholarships for Africans
RUFORUM is partnering with the MasterCard Foundation to implement the programme “Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development”. For the academic year 2018, 45 Bachelor and 15 Master scholarships are available of which 70% will be for Kenya and Uganda nationals.The aim is to transform African agricultural universities and their graduates to better respond to developmental challenges through enhanced application of science, technology, business and innovation for rural agricultural transformation. In this current call, proposals will be accepted only from Egerton University and Gulu University. Deadline 31 March 2018.

Ghent University — PhD Scholarships 2018
Ghent University grants PhD scholarships to promising PhD students from developing countries who wish to carry out half of their PhD research at Ghent University. Before applying each student needs to find a professor from Ghent University who is willing to act as their supervisor. Supported thematic areas include biology, veterinary medicine, agricultural economics, water, etc. Deadline 6 March 2018.

Belgian Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences — Research Competitions 2018 and 2019
Each year, the Belgian Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences sponsors a competition to stimulate high-quality research regarding problems inherent in the developing world. The questions for 2018 include one on the use of remotely-sensed data for assessing the water cycle in developing countries. The questions for 2019 include one on the impact of urbanization, agricultural, and/or industrial development on natural ecosystems in tropical countries, and another on the technical, scientific or economic implication of emerging countries to the collecting and recycling of residues containing metals. Each award-winning work is granted a prize of €2,500. The deadline for the 2018 competition is 01 March 2018; the deadline for the 2019 competition is 01 March 2019.

Association of Commonwealth Universities — Masters Scholarships 2018
The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships enable successful applicants to benefit from the expertise provided by universities in low and middle-income countries around the Commonwealth. The program currently offers 13 masters-level scholarships at ACU member universities in 9 countries. Applicants are citizens of Commonwealth countries other than the host country. Subject areas for the masters programs include agriculture, environment, climate change, and others. Deadline 11 March 2018.

Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions — IMMANA Fellowships, Round 4
Funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), IMMANA aims to accelerate the development of scientific evidence to support effective policy and investments in agriculture for improved nutrition and health. Fellowships focus mainly on fieldwork in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Eligible applicants will have completed a doctorate in any field related to agriculture, nutrition, and/or health within three years of the proposed fellowship start date. Applicants may be of any nationality and have earned their doctorates anywhere. IMMANA strongly encourages applications from female candidates who are citizens of low- and middle-income countries, and applicants who have research or faculty appointments in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia.  Deadline 1 March 2018.

NextWorldNow Community Investments — Community Grants 2018
NextWorldNow (NWN) is committed to working with community leaders who are solving difficult social problems. This includes social problems related to water, sanitation, deforestation, smallholder productivity, and food security — among other subject areas. Grants are up to US$10 thousand. Deadline 31 March 2018.

Israeli Agency for International Development - Course: Clean Technologies for Economic Development
The course is geared towards decision makers, policy makers and professionals from the fields of energy, water, waste, agriculture, climate change, infrastructure and economic development.Deadline 23 Feb 2018

Israeli Agency for International Development — Course: Intensive Crop Production
The course is geared towards professionals from governmental and non-governmental institutions, universities, research institutes and/or private sector involved in agricultural development projects under irrigation as well as in research, extension and/or intensive agricultural production. Deadline 06 March 2018

African Water Association — Research Fellowships for Young Water and Sanitation Professionals in West Africa
With funding provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the African Water Association offers fellowships of US$1 thousand for masters research in water and sanitation. Open until 28 Feb 2018

Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund — Scholarships for Higher Education 2018
Subject areas at Taiwan’s participating universities include tropical agriculture, renewable energy, environmental sciences, conservation and wildlife management, and others. Deadline  16 March 2018

Aga Khan Foundation — International Scholarships 2018-2019
The Aga Khan Foundation supports programs in rural development, broadly defined, in a number of developing countries. Deadline  31 March 2018

New Zealand Aid Program — Development Scholarships 2018
New Zealand’s government provides a variety of opportunities for training and university study through the New Zealand Aid Program, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The program has six scholarship schemes, reaching a total of over 90 countries. The priorities for support often include agriculture, renewable energy, fisheries, disaster risk management, and other areas. Deadline  28 March 2018

Tropical Biology Association — Field Courses for Early-Career Scientists 2018
The TBA sponsors field courses in tropical biology at the post-graduate level. It currently invites applications for 2018 courses in Kenya and Borneo. Full scholarships will be granted to successful African and Malagasy applicants for the course in Africa or Madagascar, and to successful applicants from ASEAN countries for the course in Borneo. Deadline  4 March 2018

International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology — Research Fellowships 2018
The Arturo Falaschi Fellowships Program offers long and short-term fellowships to assist in the training of scientists from ICGEB’s member states, including many developing countries. The fellowships are for research at collaborating universities in Trieste, New Delhi, and Cape Town. For doctoral fellowships, the application deadline is 31 March 2018. For post-doctoral fellowships, the deadlines are 31 March and 30 September 2018.

Wageningen University — Short Courses: Food Security 2018
The Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation offers multiple short-term courses in the theme “Food Security” in 2018. Courses during the year 2018, and the locations where they will be held, include the following: Milking to potential (May 2018 in the Netherlands); Food systems for healthy and sustainable diets (June 2018 in the Netherlands); Organised farmers as partners in agribusiness (September/October 2018 in the Netherlands); Responsible aquaculture development (November/December 2018 in the Netherlands); among many others. Most courses are open to professionals of government departments, NGOs and civil society organisations, businesses, development agencies, universities and colleges for higher education, and individual consultants. Deadline April 2018

Nordic Africa Institute — Grants for Guest Researchers from Africa 2018
The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) provides funding to social science researchers from Sub-Saharan Africa for short-term collaborative assignments at the NAI in Uppsala, Sweden. Female researchers are especially encouraged to apply. The thematic research programs include the topics of economic growth, poverty alleviation, sustainable livelihoods, climate change, and sustainable development, among others. Deadline 1 April 2018

International Plant Nutrition Institute — Scholar Awards for Agricultural Graduate Students 2018
The IPNI Scholar Awards are open to applicants who are graduate students attending a degree-granting institution located in any country with an IPNI program. Applicants in Africa can apply if their research connects with international programs, even if their countries are not in IPNI (see the special criteria for Africans). Awards of US$2 thousand are available to students in the disciplines of agronomy, horticulture, ecology, soil fertility, soil chemistry, crop physiology, and other areas related to plant nutrition. Deadline 1 May 2018

International Livestock Research Institute — Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund 2017-2018
The Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub awards research fellowships to African agricultural researchers for short-term projects at the BecA-ILRI Hub in Nairobi. The announcement identifies the priority research themes. Candidates should be currently engaged in agricultural research and be affiliated with a national agricultural research system in the eligible countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Dem Rep Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Under special partnership and collaboration arrangements, applicants from other African countries are considered for the fellowship. The Fund supports travel, accommodation, stipend, and research costs. Deadline 30 June 2018

AWARDS and O T H E R

Agrinatura travel grants to Tropentag conference 2018
AGRINATURA will support the annual Conference on Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (Tropentag) with the general theme for 2018: ‘Global food security and food safety: The role of universities’ The conference will be held at the Ghent University (Ghent, Belgium), September 17-19, 2018. Deadline 15 May 2018

Global Federation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences — World Agricultural Prize 2018
The Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for the Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA) supports innovation and leadership in education, research, and outreach in the agricultural and life sciences. This year, two World Agriculture Prizes will be awarded, each to a faculty member from a higher education institution for lifetime achievements in agriculture and life sciences  — including but not limited to agriculture, forestry, natural resources, food, bio-based products, bio-energy, rural development, and the environment. The amount of the prize is US$100 thousand, contributed by Nanjing Agricultural University and the Da Bei Nong Group. Deadline 30 April 2018

King Baudouin Foundation — African Development Prize 2018/2019

The King Baudouin African Development Prize aims to reward individuals or organisations who are making an outstanding contribution to development in Africa. The winners receive €200 thousand and the opportunity to promote their cause to international audiences. The Prize will be awarded to Africans or organisations which are founded and led by Africans. Candidates have to be nominated. Self-nominations and applications by individuals will not be considered. Deadline 01 March 2018.

Australian Center for International Agricultural Research — John Allwright Fellowship 2018
ACIAR awards the John Allwright Fellowship for university post-graduate studies in Australia. Applicants are citizens of ACIAR’s priority partner countries who are engaged in an ACIAR collaborative project at the time of application. Each awardee pursues research at an Australian tertiary institution relevant to the project in which the awardee is engaged. Deadline 30 April 2018
World Academy of Sciences — Science Prizes 2018
Each year, TWAS awards eight prizes of US$15 thousand each to individual scientists who have been working and living in a developing country for at least 10 years. The disciplinary fields include agricultural sciences, biology, and six others. Nominations of women scientists are particularly encouraged. Deadline 15 March 2018.

International Youth Foundation — Global Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurs
The Laureate Global Fellowship, sponsored by Laureate International Universities, recognizes 20 young leaders from around the world who have pioneered solutions to urgent social and environmental challenges in their communities and beyond. Laureate Global Fellows begin their fellowship experience at a week-long training retreat and gain access to opportunities for needs-based personal and organizational development. Deadline 06 March 2018

Swiss Re Foundation — Leadership Prize in Water Management
The International ReSource Award is a prize acknowledging social entrepreneurial thinking and leadership in addressing social and/or ecological issues related to sustainable water management practices in developing and emerging countries. Deadline 16 March 2018

The UC Berkeley-11th Hour Food and Farming Journalism Fellowship
The Fellowship presents an opportunity to report ambitious long-form print and audio stories on the full range of subjects under the rubric of food systems: agricultural and nutritional policy, the food industry, food science, technology and culture, rural and urban farming, agriculture and the environment (including climate change), global trade and supply chains, consolidation and securitization of the food system and public health as it relates to food and farming. Deadline 15 March 2018

African Leadership Academy — Anzisha Prize for Young Innovators 2018
Past awards include innovations in energy, agriculture, and ecological consumer products. The grand prize winners will share prizes worth US$100 thousand. Deadline  01 Apr 2018

Boston University: West African Research Association (WARC) — Travel Grants for West African Nationals
The WARC Travel Grant supports African scholars and graduate students for research visits to other institutions on the continent. Travel grant funds may be used to attend and present papers at academic conferences relevant to the applicant’s field of research; visit libraries or archives in support of the applicant’s current academic work; engage in collaborative work with colleagues at another institution; and travel to a research site. The grant provides travel costs up to US$1,500 and a stipend of US$1,500. The program is open to West African nationals, with preference given to those affiliated with West African colleges, universities, and research institutions. Deadline 15 March 2018

West African Research Association — Travel Grant Program 2017
The WARC Travel Grant promotes intra-African cooperation and exchange among researchers and institutions by providing support to African scholars and graduate students for research visits to other institutions on the continent. Travel grant funds may be used to: (i) attend and present papers; (ii) visit libraries or archives; (iii) engage in collaborative work with colleagues. Deadline 15 March 2018

Indian National Academy of Sciences — JRD-Tata Fellowships for Visiting Scientists from Developing Countries
India’s National Science Academy administers the JRD-Tata Fellowships to support visiting scientists from the developing world and promote South-South cooperation. The program is open to applicants from developing countries (except India) younger than age 45, and who possess doctorate or masters degrees in science or equivalent degrees in engineering/medicine. Past participants have included several in agriculture, biological sciences, and geo-sciences. The fellowship is for three months and includes transportation, maintenance allowance, accommodation, and contingencies. Deadline  30 Apr 2018

Fiat Panis Foundation — Prizes for Research in Agriculture and Natural Resources 2018
The Fiat Panis Foundation makes awards for university thesis and dissertation research in themes of agriculture and natural resources, with a focus on food security in developing countries. The Hans Hartwig Ruthenberg Graduate Award is €7.5 thousand. Deadline  30 Apr 2018

Women’s World Summit Foundation — Prize for Women’s Creativity in Rural Life
The WWSF awards this Prize of US$1 thousand per laureate to honor women and women’s groups for exceptional creativity, courage, and commitment to improve the quality of life in rural communities. Each year, WWSF awards the Prize to between 5-10 creative rural women and women’s groups around the world. Nominations include biographical data about the nominee; at least two endorsement letters; and labeled photos. Self-nominations are not accepted. Deadline  01 Apr 2018 (submitted by postal mail only).

Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition — Food Sustainability Media Award
The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) and the Thomson Reuters Foundation invite professional journalists and emerging talent from all over the world to participate in the Food Sustainability Media Award. Applicants may submit written journalism and multimedia (photography, audio and video) contents related to food security, sustainability, agriculture and nutrition. Deadline 31 May 2018.

World Food Prize Foundation — World Food Prize and Borlaug Field Award 2018
The World Food Prize Foundation invites nominations for the annual World Food Prize, and for the annual Borlaug Field Award. The World Food Prize (US$250 thousand) recognizes an individual or individuals who have made outstanding achievements to enhance the world’s food production and its distribution to those most in need. The deadlines for nominations are 01 May 2018 for the World Food Prize, and 30 June 2018 for the Borlaug Field Award. 

Training and Capacity Building for Media Practitioners on Agriculture Policies

15th February 2018. Abuja, Nigeria. Training and Capacity Building for Media Practitioners on Agriculture Policies (CAADP, ECOWAP, APP, JSR, BR, NAIP, etc).

See: COMMUNIQUE AND REPORT

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) in partnership with Trust Africa organized a capacity training and capacity building workshop on agricultural policy instruments for media organizations to be well knowledgeable on these policy instruments in other to create a public awareness on CAADP.

The training had in attendance about 40 representatives drawn from various media organizations. The capacity building session provided a platform for the media organizations to understand the depth of
these policy instruments which facilitate better reporting: a) Understanding the contents and direction of the CAADP ; b) Bringing Agricultural instruments to the front burner of the media.

The technical sessions took critical look at the various policy frameworks and issues related to agriculture at the national, regional and continental levels, as follows:

1. Paper 1, delivered by Dr. Manson Nwafor, an Economist with the ECOWAS/IITA-ReSSAKS dwelt on the Demystification of the APP, NAIP, ECOWAP, CAADP and ancillary instruments implementation in Nigeria. 
2. Paper 2 which was delivered by Mr Sylvester Baye from Policy and Planning Dept - Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development explored the place of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the nexus with National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP). 
3. Paper 3 by Jimoh Babatunde, a Journalist, which expressed the role of the media in the implementation of the APP and CAADP. 
4. Paper 4, delivered by Gabriel Okeowo which explained Innovative ICTs in Media advocacy for Agriculture Sector