CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme's Podcast: Recent Episodes
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The CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme is a nonprofit global agricultural research partnership promoting modern crop breeding for food security
To mark the occasion of International Women’s Day 2014 (8th March), we asked esteemed GCP Lead Cassava Researcher in Ghana, Elizabeth Parkes, to share her thoughts on a few prevalent questions pertaining to women in agriculture and research for development. In this brief interview, Elizabeth touches on the importance of and motivation for supporting women in agriculture. With oodles of (well deserved!) pride, she also joyfully recalls the success stories of two trainees formerly under her watch, highlighting the great strides being made by women in agriculture today, both in the lab and out in the field. Finally, Elizabeth wraps up with a few choice words of encouragement for potential budding crop scientists – women in particular – looking to follow in the footsteps of Elizabeth and her cassava comrades… We invite GCP friends to listen, and be as inspired as we were!
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Music: 'Sun rebirth' from PlayOnLoop.com Photo: CT Hash
Elizabeth exhorts young budding crop scientists out there – and young women in particular – who might looking to build a career for themselves in agricultural research for development, that this is their time. Using the example of cassava which has long been a poor 'country cousin' in crop research but is poor no more, Elizabeth assures us help is readily at hand. And for the potential cassava converts among you, the research waters are currently warm and excitingly inviting, so why not follow in Elizabeth’s footsteps and plunge in right away, young ‘uns!
More: http://bit.ly/Ny0I5I
Music: 'Sun rebirth' from PlayOnLoop.com Photo: IITA
Whilst often faced with severe hurdles such as unequal access to land, technologies and other key resources, women play a crucial role in agriculture, and represent up to half of the agricultural workforce in some developing countries. Here, Elizabeth highlights the story of one gutsy and totally determined woman farmer who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and who – thanks to a helping hand and some astute guidance from Elizabeth – fast became an empowered, self-reliant cassava-growing pro…and a local celebrity to boot!
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Music: 'Sun rebirth' from PlayOnLoop.com Photo: IITA
A young African woman raising a family whilst also seamlessly navigating a star-studded career in the crop sciences at international level? A nice thought, sure, but somewhat pie-in-the-sky stuff, right? Not so, says Elizabeth, who firmly believes that women from developing countries can successfully balance both family and a high-flying career in agricultural research – and, as depicted in this clip, she has a glittering former student to prove it!
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Music: 'Sun rebirth' from PlayOnLoop.com
Photo: IITA
Elizabeth explains why matters affecting women are dear to her heart, and, inspired by the oft-quoted Ghanaian intellectual, missionary, and teacher Rev Dr Kwegyir Aggrey on the community benefits of educating women, she expands on how supporting women can reap rich rewards in the fight against poverty and hunger.
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Music: 'Sun rebirth' from PlayOnLoop.com Photo: IITA
In the world of phosphorus, Matthias Wissuwa of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) is somewhat of a ‘rock’ star. He has searched tirelessly for a rice gene that could improve rice yield in phosphorus-deficient soils –which make up half of the world’s soils, and this, even as he switched employers along the way. Rightly dubbed the ‘Guru’ and ‘Godfather’ of the Pup1 (phosphorus uptake) work, Mathias attributes the project’s success to fruitful collaborations and partnerships: in his words, GCP’s exciting collaborations brought to the Pup1 (phosphorus uptake) team answers whey wouldn’t otherwise have had, such as how root architecture influences phosphorus uptake. The Pup1 team’s work and findings were recently published in Nature.
See related press release and also tune in to Episode 3.1.
Half of the world’s ricelands are phosphorus-deficient. And while this problem can be overcome by phosphorus (P) fertilisers, this solution is often out of reach for poorer farmers, who are by far and away the vast majority. Matthias Wissuwa of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) talks about a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution that purely revolves around a naturally occurring gene, PSTOL1, found in the Pup1 (phosphorus uptake) locus.Matthias tells us what identifying this gene really means in practical terms, and the benefits for farmers in both Africa and Asia, for which JIRCAS is working in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Africa Rice Center on both Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and Oryza glaberrima (African rice). A Pup2 might even be in the offing in the near future, so do watch this space!
Meantime, see related blogpost and tune in to Episode 3.2
Support services, Hannibal feels, are the backbone to good-quality research. As he tells us here, investing money in other areas of crop science without addressing the real needs of the people on the ground would, Hannibal declares resolutely, be like "throwing money out of the window". "Keep up the good work!", is one of Hannibal’s key take-home messages, with a hats off to GCP and partners for taking the crucial area of support services seriously.
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
Irrigation systems allowing off-season breeding work for drought-tolerant varieties in Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso, with critical food crops such as rice, cassava, sorghum and more, was a major tangible result Hannibal recorded at the time of talking to GCP in mid-2012, though our esteemed listeners are also encouraged to watch this space for more in due course! However, beyond investments in major infrastructure such as irrigation systems, Hannibal also reminds us how, sometimes, great things come in small packages – tune in to this podcast to learn more!
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
From upstream research to food on the table, Hannibal walks us through the fascinating chain of events that he considers to be the real and lasting impacts on the ground, resulting directly from sound support services, functioning infrastructure and good training. Tune in for the all-important birds-eye view on food security!
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
Throughout the course of his work with GCP, Hannibal has witnessed numerous successful partnerships and collaborations. Here, he highlights the crucial factor of building trust for meaningful and sustainable interaction, a process which can, in turn, branch out to new connections for people on the ground, hence leaving out our middle-man, Hannibal, and empowering research staff iin country programmes to find solutions on their own.
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
Seeing research plots ticking as they should, and to learn of researchers finally obtaining the results their experiments were designed for, all thanks to infrastructure, equipment or training, are just a few of the simple yet profoundly moving rewards Hannibal talks about… A dream come true, he enthuses!
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
Short tenure of researchers and those in the decision-making seat can pose a frustrating and very real threat to the longevity of any advances being made in the area of support services. Hannibal once again urges the powers-that-be to conduct a serious – and sustainable – support service action plan.
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
"No department, no funds, no budget line!" cries Hannibal, lamenting the recurring problem he’s seen time and again of a lack of formal commitment to support services, and issuing an impassioned plea to Directors of country agricultural research centres to begin investing in this crucial area, or else risk losing their own self-reliance and empowerment.
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
Hannibal talks us through the life-cycle of an effective support service needs analysis, a process which should be done holistically, he explains, ensuring all bases are covered to have sites working like "a well-oiled machine". Regarding his role as mediator, Hannibal’s tricks of the trade and language skills prove an invaluable asset to the teams he pairs up with.
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
Empowering others to be agents of their own change and getting to the heart of the matter by addressing the real needs of quality agricultural research are two beautifully simple yet inherently powerful reasons as to why Hannibal believes that support services matter. Listeners are invited to tune in, and, like Hannibal, be inspired!
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
We get the low-down on Consultant Hannibal Muhtar, including his academic studies, his professional background, and a glimpse into his personal interests, revealing why GCP considered him to be just the man for the job!
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
In today’s episode, we talk to Dr Hannibal Muhtar, the Consultant commissioned by the CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme (GCP), to undertake a series of on-site needs analyses for numerous GCP research sites across sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, Hannibal was asked to identify, together with GCP project Principal Investigators, the infrastructure, equipment and support service needs for each of the sites.
Having already heard from GCP’s Director of Research, Dr Xavier Delannay, on this subject in Episode 1 of the GCP podcast series, we’ll now hear firsthand from Hannibal about his experiences in the field whilst carrying out this work, touching upon the challenges faced by GCP researchers on the ground, the need for this intervention, some of the solutions already implemented following Hannibal's recommendations, and the impacts now being experienced on the ground as a result.
You can also read all about it on this blogpost.
Expanding further on sustainability, Xavier reiterates the all-essential commitment from local staff on the ground. In the isolated cases where there were doubts on the commitment of research station managers and team members, GCP re-assessed the feasibility of investing in the site, accepted when a mission was impossible, and instead focused on working with what is possible.
With GCP due to draw to a close in 2014, it is fundamental that the necessary steps be taken to ensure that the benefits of such investments continue after GCP disengages. Good collaboration and nurturing the commitment of local staff of all levels – particularly of research station managers – are a few concrete examples that Xavier cites on how to pave the way for long-term sustainability
In addition to sub-Saharan Africa, GCP has also made similar investments for infrastructure, equipment and support service in India and China. However, as Xavier explains, it's an entirely different ball game because of a vastly different context, and the different needs and opportunities in this part of the world require a completely different approach to that used by GCP for supporting research projects based in sub-Saharan Africa.
GCP's research is interdisciplinary and cross-cutting in nature, and the work conducted by Hannibal and by GCP researchers exemplifies how, as neatly captured by Xavier, all these different legs need to be in place for the stool to stand up! Xavier talks about the critical role played by GCP’s Integrated Breeding Platform (IBP) Offering a suite of tools and services for efficient crop breeding and data management, IBP is vital for facilitating effective experiments in the field – meaning, in turn, that the good efforts invested by Hannibal and GCP researchers towards the improvement of crops will be not only maximised, but also widely shared.
Effective cross-cutting collaborations are at the core of almost all GCP research projects. Hannibal’s findings surfaced many examples of these positive synergies: GCP projects in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Nigeria are amongh those Xavier mentions. "With all team players engaging together effectively, the different pieces of the research project puzzle begin to fall together," Xavier explains.
In what way does GCP, and these investments in support services, infrastructure and equipment, offer real and long-lasting value to crop researchers? Xavier explains that in working directly with, and facilitating the leadership role of, country programmes, GCP aims to ensure a more holistic approach and – essentially – a more direct impact.
A TIME AND WEATHER MACHINE FOR SCIENTISTS: Enabling field trials to be carried out as and when planned, assuring high-quality accurate data and facilitating extended breeding cycles, are just a few of the tangible results Xavier highlights...
Beyond the facilitation of efficient research experiments, the benefits on the ground following the implementation of Hannibal’s recommendations, are, as Xavier explains, wider-reaching, with improved crop varieties and the consequent benefits felt by local communities being among the key tangible results.
Expounding on the issue of impacts on the ground, Xavier tells us about the spillover effects of these infrastructure and support service investments, which go well beyond the boundaries of specific research project activities and life-cycles.
There are many positive impacts being felt on the ground following these investments by GCP, as reported by Xavier throughout the course of the interview. Here, Xavier narrates details of a particular ‘success story’ of GCP partner Egerton University in Kenya, where the establishment of an irrigation system for chickpea experiments was appreciated not only by the researchers, but also – thanks to a link with Mogotio Farmers Training Centre in Koibatek County – by the local community as well.
Here, Xavier shares a few of his personal impressions and cherished lessons learned stemming from this project commissioned to Hannibal. Having come to GCP in 2009 from the private sector, Xavier reflects on how he was particularly struck by the realisation that often the most basic but all-important infrastructure, equipment and support services might be taken for granted in certain environments – but that without these elements in place, it can be very hard to simply get the nuts and bolts of the research work done.
Whilst the sites visited by Hannibal may have varied greatly in terms of plot sizes, crops, climate and local conditions, Hannibal’s findings revealed several key challenges and gaps which were common to many of the sites. Amongst these, Xavier lists limited human and infrastructure resources as key, as well as a clear need to build capacity of research staff on the ground, targeting courses in the local language where possible, and, critically, the need to ensure the sustainable continuation of these investments long after GCP disengages.
Hannibal carried out his visits to the sites in 2010 and 2011, in parallel with the launch of many new GCP Research Initiative projects in 2010, and thus to ensure that adequate infrastructure would be in place in time for projects to be tested in the field in 2012. As stressed by Xavier in this clip, the challenges encountered along the way to reach this 2012 infrastructure implementation target should not be underestimated.
Hannibal’s analysis and the implementation of his recommendations have, as at June 2012, been conducted in eight countries across sub-Saharan Africa in 2010 and 2011. In this clip, Xavier explains why these specific countries were selected, highlighting GCP’s targeting, in its second phase (2009–2014), of certain countries and crops – focused efforts which are being chanelled through the ongoing GCP Research Initiatives.
There’s much more than ‘heavy metal’ going on in GCP’s approach to capacity building: GCP invests not only in lab and field infrastructure, the ‘heavy artillery’ if you like, but also on field ‘generals, ‘archers’ and ‘foot soldiers’, by training research station managers, technicians and staff to better support field research.
Meet Hannibal Muhtar and get his take on things. Where has he been and what has he done? What motivates him to do what he does, including taking on this project on needs assessment and formulating viable solutions?
A seasoned and very hands-on ‘drylands man’, Hannibal is an agricultural engineer with loads of field experience and multilingual to boot, with four global languages under his belt. He came highly recommended, and you’ll see why GCP considered him to be the best man for the job.
Want to hear it all at one go? The full interview with Hannibal will be in Episode 2, and in mini-podcasts tagged Episodes 2.1 to 2.7c, all coming soon…
GCP’s Xavier Delannay talks about the benefits being enjoyed by researchers and local communities in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to GCP investments in field and lab infrastructure, equipment, and related support services.
The story begins in 2010–2011, when a consultant, Hannibal Muhtar, was commissioned by GCP to visit and identify, in collaboration with GCP project Principal Investigators, African research sites pegged to ongoing or potential GCP Research Initiatives where effective scientific research was being – or could be – hampered by significant gaps in one fundamental area: infrastructure, equipment and support services.
In this interview, Xavier, who is GCP’s Director of Research, Leader of Theme 2 (Integrated crop breeding) and Chair of the Management Team of GCP’s Integrated Breeding Platform – shares his views on the key support service and infrastructure challenges being faced by researchers on the ground in these selected sites; the importance of addressing such crucial gaps; the solutions implemented thus far and the impacts now being seen as a result, plus the coordinated and concerted approach which has made solutions work.
Keen to hear more? The story continues in Episode 2, coming soon…