Session 7
For royalty or for all?
Amaranth, teff, millet and cassava
5 April 2016
IFAD headquarters
Rome, Italy
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is both an
international, financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency.
It is a unique organization dedicated exclusively to investing in rural people.
IFAD finances innovative agricultural and rural development projects and also
brings the point of view of smallholder farmers to bear on international policy
processes. In line with IFAD’s mission, AgTalks was launched in order to raise
awareness of the importance of smallholder and family farming for global food
security, poverty reduction, rural development and sustainable use of natural
resources. It is hoped that these discussions will influence national policy
frameworks in favour of family farmers, and build global and national support.
AgTalks provide a platform for diverse opinions, innovative ideas on agriculture
and smallholder family farming, and the voices of smallholder farmers themselves
to be heard.
AgTalks presents the latest thinking, trends and research on policies and
innovation in small-scale farming. This session, titled ”For royalty or for all?
Amaranth, teff, millet and cassava,” is intended to raise awareness about
forgotten food crops that were once central to people’s diet centuries ago.
These lost crops have huge nutritional value and economic potential, just
waiting to be rediscovered.
Amaranth is an ancient grain revered by Aztec kings who believed it was a source
of physical and spiritual strength. Today, research has found it to be extremely
effective in reducing cholesterol levels and a powerful source of antioxidants
that can protect cells from cancer. Teff, a crop once a staple of the Ethiopian
elite, flourishes in arid environments, is gluten-free and has rich nutritional value.
It is now enjoyed 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, its
adaptability to harsh and arid environments gives this crop huge potential to
support food security. Cassava is native to Brazil and was 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. And, since it is a perennial, it can be
harvested as needed and when required.
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AgTalks: For royalty or for all? – Amaranth, teff, millet and cassava
Mary M. Delano Frier is a
biotechnical engineer, founder and
Director-General of México Tierra
de Amaranto, an organization that
combats poverty and malnutrition in
Mexico by educating communities
about the importance of amaranth and
how to grow it.
Delano works to empower rural
communities to improve their
physical, psychological and financial
health using amaranth, which is a
high-protein cereal that also figured in
Aztec religious rituals.
Mary M.
Delano
Frier
2
AgTalks: For royalty or for all? – Amaranth, teff, millet and cassava
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, Otim-Nape was the Deputy
Director-General of the National
Agricultural Research Organisation
and became Director-General in 2003.
He founded the Africa Innovations
Institute, which he has chaired
since 2005.
George
William
Otim-Nape
3
AgTalks: For royalty or for all? – Amaranth, teff, millet and cassava
Aleem Ahmed is the founder of Love
Grain, a company whose mission is
to connect smallholder farmers to
markets through a line of nutritious
gluten-free foods. These products
are based on teff, the smallest grain
in the world. Love Grain’s 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.
Ahmed 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
School of Management and Harvard
Kennedy School of Government, and
worked for the Ethiopian Agricultural
Transformation Agency.
Aleem
Ahmed
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AgTalks: For royalty or for all? – Amaranth, teff, millet and cassava
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. This
will help address barriers to food trade
along these corridors.
Coffie has over two decades of
experience in agribusiness financing,
food security and smallholder
integration into food market
value chains.
Mawuli
Reuben
Coffie
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Social media and webcasting
Participants are encouraged to share their ideas, views and insights via social
media channels using #agtalks hashtag.
The virtual audience may follow the proceedings and interact with the
prominent guests on the social media channels listed below and via
webcasting at http://webcasting.ifad.org/agtalks.
http://www.twitter.com/ifadnews
http://ifad-un.blogspot.com
instagram.com/ifadnews
http://www.youtube.com/user/IFADTV
https://www.facebook.com/IFAD
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104946654582685330240/posts
Coffee
Coffee, light beverages and pastries will be available outside the meeting room.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi facilities are available in all meeting rooms. You may connect to the
ifad_guest network using ifadguest as password.
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International Fund for Agricultural Development
Via Paolo di Dono, 44 - 00142 Rome, Italy
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ks
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