Cocoa Borlaug Fellows Program - AFRICA
Project Dates: 2007-2012
Eligible Countries:
Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria
Funders: US Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agricultural Service and World Cocoa Foundation
Implementer: World Cocoa Foundation and select research institutions
Overview:
The Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program – Global Cocoa Initiative is sponsoring ten scientists to complete 6 to 8-week fellowships in the United States. Fellows work closely with their assigned mentors, learn new research techniques, access fully equipped libraries, and learn about public-private research partnerships. It is expected that the Fellows will apply the knowledge obtained through the program in their own research and teaching activities, and share it with colleagues at their home institutions and throughout their countries. The Fellows’ mentors then have the opportunity to travel to the Fellows’ institutions.
Program Objectives:
- To build the capacity of research institutes in cocoa-producing countries to conduct research that supports the modernization and competiveness of the cocoa sector
- To improve researchers’ understanding of the cocoa supply chain
- To strengthen networks between U.S. and producing country research institutes
Progress to Date:
Seven of the Fellows from African countries have completed their fellowships as follows:
- Joseph Chuks Anikwe, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria: worked on integrated pest management of brown cocoa mirid at USDA/ARS in Beltsville, Maryland with Dr. Aijun Zhang in 2008.
- Michael Kwaw Assuah, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana: worked on biological control agents for insect vectors of cocoa swollen shoot disease at the University of Florida with Prof. Jorge Peña and Dr. Drion Boucias in 2009.
- Abu Mustapha Dadzie, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana: worked on microsatellite analysis at the USDA/Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) Subtropical Horticultural Research Station (SHRS) in Miami with Dr. Raymond Schnell in 2008.
- Demanie Musu Flomo, Liberia: worked on market information systems and quality issues at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville with Dr. Michael Wilcox, Jr. in 2009.
- Pascal Christiant Kouebou, Institute of Agronomic Research and Development (Cameroon): worked on post-harvest technologies at Rutgers University in New Jersey with Prof. Paul Takhistov in 2008.
- Lewis Dopgima Levai, Institute of Agronomic Research and Development (Cameroon): worked on using metabolites to control toxigenic fungi with Prof. Tom Gianfagna at Rutgers University in 2008
- Samuel Orisajo, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria: worked on identification and control of root-knot nematode pests with Dr. David Chitwood and Dr. Susan Meyer at USDA/ARS in Beltsville, Maryland in 2010.