|
|
UW receives $1.385 million grant to assist ag efforts in Kenya, Uganda
Wyoming Researchers at the University of Wyoming will use a five-year $1.385 million grant to become part of what they hope is a new green revolution in Africa. Business management, economic, soil and plant experts in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and College of Business will try to improve food production and supplies in Kenya and Uganda, countries deemed food insecure by the United States Agency for International Development. Jay Norton, an assistant professor in the Department of Renewable Resources and one of five principal researchers in the project from UW, calls the new farm sustainability effort green revolution 2.0, the new version of Norman Borlaug's green revolution. "Africa was bypassed in the green revolution of the 1960s and '70s," he said. "Supply chains for high-input agriculture had broken down with volatile political situations. We want to build soil quality so farm production is less dependent on off-farm inputs and to enable more production by small-holder farmers." The UW project in eastern Africa is part of the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program, a world-wide effort by USAID with other grants awarded for projects in food-insecure regions in Southern and Western Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and Southern and Southeastern Asia (www.oired.vt.edu/sanremcrsp). "The goal is to develop, evaluate and extend farming systems that build soils and are socially, culturally and economically acceptable," said Norton. "There has been a ton of work on this in Africa. Our first challenge is to talk to farmers, extension people and scientists working there to determine how we can make a positive contribution." The grant funds are being administered through Virginia Tech University.
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
