FAO-EPSO Consultation
Plant Sciences for Sustainable Crop Production:
Strengthening Partnerships between Europe and
Developing Countries
Working Group 1: Cassava Value Chain
FAO, Rome and Hotel Aran Mantegna, Rome
25-27 June 2012
The Crop
•Cultivated on more than 100 million ha per
annum in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
•Starchy storage roots is the major source of
dietary energy for over 200 million people in the
sub-region
•95% of all cassava in sub-Saharan Africa is grown
by resource-poor, subsistence farmers
•Increasingly more important not only as food but
as feedstock, substrate for biofuel and source of
industrial starch
•Many countries of SSA have special Presidential
Initiatives on boosting the economic returns on
the crop
•Rambo crop: Elevated levels of CO2 led to 100%
increase in root DM
CIAT
Brainstorming Session
• Major hurdles: What stops
cassava from becoming the
corn of the tropics?
• Is cassava still an orphan
crop?
• Major constraints in cassava
production and marketing
• Adding value to cassava for
human
health
and
commercial production in
Africa
CIAT
Constraints being addressed
Biotic stresses
• Diseases: Viruses -- ACMD,
brown streak virus; CBB
• Pests: CGM; whitefly; stem
scale; African root and
tuber scale
Abiotic stresses, including
climate change
• Drought, heat
CIAT
Constraints being addressed
Quality
• Low contents of protein; Low
bioavailability of zinc, iron,
calcium and copper
• Toxic cyanogenic glucoside
• Starch content and quality
• DM content
• Postharvest Physiological
Deterioration
CIAT
Constraints being addressed
Mechanization
• Plant architecture
• Harvestability --- root shapes
Niche market and industry
traits
• bioethanol; waxy starch;
high amylose contents; etc.
CIAT
Constraints being addressed: Novel
Methodologies, Initiatives
Genetic transformation
• Risk of non-acceptance in Europe
and implications for export
Metabolomics profiling -- IITA, CIAT,
CIP -- being developed under the
auspices of a CRP
• ETH can support with statistics
• Other expertise e.g. system
biology available in Europe and
can be leveraged
CIAT
Constraints being addressed: Novel
Methodologies, Initiatives
• Phenomics – discussions ongoing between CIAT and Australian
group
– European phenomics network (Montpellier and Germany)
could be leveraged
• Possible Gates-funded initiative for control of whitefly -- IPM;
genetic transformation and classical plant breeding
• High quality planting materials – genotype-independent low
cost tissue culture
CIAT
Constraints being addressed: Capacities
not adequately covered by EPSO
Agronomy
• Mindful that genetic improvement must be deployed
in tandem with improved cultural practices.
• Strategic partnerships and mechanisms are required to
compensate for missing capacities
Interventions relating to postharvest processes, markets,
etc.
• must constitute part of an overall package for benefits
of the plant science R&D to be realized.
CIAT
Strengthening of Capacities
• Preferentially target in-service training
of scientists whose return to jobs are
assured
• Cohorts of EU training institutions and
SSA counterparts modeled after
COPs?
– Ongoing initiatives include the IRD model
with staff working on site with counterparts
in SSA, e.g. Burkina Faso
– Use of existing platforms e.g. BECA,
WACCI, ACCI.
– Model of Cornell interventions suitable
for Europe?
CIAT
Strengthening of Capacities
• Farmer-specific interventions: FAO’s FFS as model to bridge the
gap left by weak extension services?
• Mainstream capacity strengthening as in-built component of
partnerships?
CIAT
Winning Partnerships
The CGIAR’s CRPs as vehicle
• Humidtropics: Integrated Systems for the
Humid Tropics
• Roots, Tubers, and Bananas
– EC is funding more than 50% of the CGIAR
consortium. Opportunity for increased
participation of EPSO?
– CGIAR as important broker of partnerships
for EU-SSA collaborations
Strengthening of national capacities
including research infrastructures
integral to partnerships
Strategize for tapping into the EC’s Horizon
2020 Research and Innovation funding
CIAT
Winning Partnerships
Ensure relevance, secure buy-in,
pool resources, etc. by
leveraging existing
frameworks
• AU’s CAADP, Agricultural
Investment Plan, etc.
• Regional networks – CORAF,
ASARECA
• Regional economic
development entities
• FAO’s TAP
CIAT
CIAT
Thank you!