By: Kari Wozniak & Elizabeth Engele, ADM Institute True to its mission as a land-grant university, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a renowned leader in research, extension, and public engagement. Its long-standing tradition of making high-quality knowledge available to the public is enhanced by news ways of communicating and innovative technologies in today’s […]
Archive | Education and training
RSS feed for this sectionAnimating extension: How Illinois researchers are using modern ICTs to impact society
Minnesota Workers Share Expertise Across the Globe
A Minnesota-based non-profit, Partners in Food Solutions, provides business and technical training to farmers abroad by matching food processing industry volunteers with businesses in developing nations. http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/224647761.html
US Expertise Can Resolve Food Wastage Issues
US Congressman Ami Bera advocates for collaboration between the US and India on postharvest loss issues. Bera worked towards a MOU when recently in Delhi, focused on bringing US expertise to India on how to better manage, store, and move food to market. http://ht.ly/oqaQN
Guiding Value Chain Development: Comparing Approaches
The World AgroForestry Centre and The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation released a report that reviews 11 guides for value chain development (VCD). The tool is meant for practitioners and field workers implementing VCD programs and activities. http://clippings.ilri.org/2013/09/02/vcd-reviews/
Are Mobile Phones Helping Farmers?
Mobile phones are increasingly cited as a game changing tool in rural development and agricultural extension. A survey by CIMMYT, however, finds that information provided via mobile is often generic and limited. Experts say dynamic databases of individualized data are needed to make the information useful and effective. http://blog.cimmyt.org/?p=11074
Course on Food Security & Grain Storage, Israel
Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation and partnering organizations invite professionals to participate in a training course, ‘Food Security & Grain Storage – Technologies and Management’. The course takes place from December 2-17, and is designed for professionals from academic and extension services. http://www.mladiinfo.com/2013/08/26/course-on-food-security-grain-storage-israel/
The Mud on Their Legs – Farmer to Farmer Videos in Uganda
Paul Van Mele and colleagues created eleven farmer-to-farmer learning videos in Bangladesh and West Africa about growing rice from seed to postharvest beginning in 2003. The USAID funded project, Modernizing Extension and Advisory Systems (MEAS), funded this case study analysis in Uganda describing what researchers observed during a return visit in November 2012. http://agrilinks.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/MEAS%20CS%20Uganda%20-%20Farmer%20to%20Farmer%20Videos%20in%20Uganda%20-%20Bentley,%20J%20and%20P%20Van%20Mele%20-%20July%202013%20-%202.pdf
Curbing Maize Postharvest Losses Key to Attaining Food Security in Kenya
The International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT) paired with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) to organize a training course on postharvest management. Kenya experiences an estimated 40% loss of staple grains, which poses great challenges to the country’s food security and economic development. http://blog.cimmyt.org/?p=10681
Government of Ghana and Blumberg Grain Execute MOU for Manufacturing Plant and Export Hub in West Africa
U.S. company Blumberg Grain plans to develop a state of the art food safety and security storage warehousing system in Ghana, following an agreement negotiated by the Ghanaian Minister of Trade and Industry. The Hub will also include an educational institute supported by Iowa State University, the Ghanaian Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and NGO […]
Commentary – Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom: Promoting a New Era of Innovation for Agricultural Development
Michael Howevel, Deputy Director for Agriculture for Impact, remarks on the presence of a ‘quiet revolution’ in the agricultural sector, with the ‘science-technology-innovation nexus’ that will be the future of agricultural development. His graphic shows the two-sided nature of innovation, which includes development and education, access and feedback. http://globalfoodforthought.typepad.com/global-food-for-thought/2013/06/commentary-let-a-hundred-flowers-bloom-promoting-a-new-era-of-innovation-for-agricultural-developmen.html