Cocoa Borlaug Fellows Program - AFRICA

Project Dates: 2007-2012

 

Eligible Countries:

Africa: Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia

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 Fellows Program is sponsoring seven scientists to complete a 6 to 8-week fellowship 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 US and producing country research institutes

 

Progress to Date: Five 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 from November 11–December 22, 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 from February 4-March 31, 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 from September 14-November 13, 2008.

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 from October 4-November 16, 2008.

Lewis Dopgima Levai, Institute of Agronomic Research and Development (Cameroon): worked on using metabolites to control toxigenic fungi with Prof. Tom Gianfagna from October 3-November 7, 2008