AgTalks Session 7

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) invites you to the seventh session of AgTalks, which will be held on 5 April 2016, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Italian Conference Room, at IFAD headquarters. A welcome coffee will be served at 9.30 a.m. 

R.S.V.P. by e-mail to protocol@ifad.org by 4 April 2016

AgTalks presents the latest thinking, trends and research on policies and innovation in small-scale farming. This session entitled ”For royalty or for all? – Amaranth, teff, millet and cassava” is intended to raise awareness about food crops that were once central to people’s diet centuries ago, but have long been forgotten or ignored. These however have huge nutritional value and economic potential waiting to be rediscovered.

Amaranth is an ancient grain revered by Aztec kings who believed it gave them great physical and spiritual strength. Today research has shown it to be effective in reducing cholesterol and a powerful source of antioxidants that can protect cells from cancer; Teff is a crop that flourishes in arid environments, is gluten-free and has rich nutritional value. It was a staple of the Ethiopian elite for long but is now consumed by all Ethiopians; Millet is one of the lost crops of Africa with high levels of protein, iron, zinc and vitamins. As global temperatures rise, it has huge potential because of its adaptability to harsh and arid environments; Cassava is native to Brazil and was also used by the Maya civilization thousands of years ago. It is a highly resilient crop that grows well on poor soils and requires little rainfall. As a perennial, it can be harvested as and when required.

Speakers

George William Otim-Nape is a Professor of Agricultural Development at the University of Greenwich and is Founder and Chairman of the Africa Innovations Institute. He is a leading agricultural and development expert with over thirty-five years’ experience in science and technology development.  In 1999 Professor Otim-Nape was the Deputy Director-General of the National Agricultural Research Organisation and in 2003 became Director-General. In 2005 he founded the Africa Innovations Institute, which he has chaired since 2005.

Mary M. Delano Frier is a biotechnical engineer, founder and Director-General of México Tierra de Amaranto, an organization “which seeks to help overcome poverty and malnutrition in Mexico by teaching local communities how to grow amaranth in their homes.” Ms Delano works to empower rural communities to improve their physical, psychological, and financial health by using amaranth, “a plant whose seed is consumed as a high-protein cereal, and was a major component of both the Aztec royalty diet and their religious rituals.”

Aleem Ahmed is the founder of Love Grain, a company with a mission to connect smallholder farmers to the market through a line of nutritious gluten-free foods based on the grain teff, the smallest grain in the world. The aim is to contribute to the growth of the Ethiopian agricultural sector by building a transparent, equitable supply chain for teff farmers and local processors. Before starting this new venture, Mr Ahmed worked for the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency, helping smallholder teff farmers to double their yield in only two years. He is a 2015 Echoing Green Global Fellow, and was awarded the Legatum Fellowship from MIT’s Legatum Centre for Development and Entrepreneurship. He is a graduate of MIT Sloan and Harvard Kennedy School.

Mawuli Reuben Coffie is a team leader currently working on the West Africa Food Markets programme – an initiative funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development. The programme is designed to channel private investment into the production and marketing of staples such as  millet, maize, cassava and sorghum along the trade corridors of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger and Nigeria, and to address barriers to food trade along these corridors. Mr Coffie has over two decades of experience in the realm of agribusiness financing, food security and smallholder integration into food market value chains.

Participants are encouraged to share their ideas, views and insights via social media channels using #agtalks hashtag. The virtual audience is encouraged to follow the proceedings via webcasting.