– SLU Global

The SLU Africa Food Security Research Symposium - Outcomes of a Swedish Government Initiative, Kampala 4-6 Dec 2012 Twitter: #SLUAfrFood

During 4-6 of December the SLU Africa Food Security Research Symposium took place in Kampala, Uganda. The symposium, which was hosted by SLU Global, was a result of the 40 milllion SEK that the Swedish government allocated to SLU to support food security. A cluster of research projects were funded over two years (2011-2012).

Participants of the SLU Africa Food Security Research Symposium. Photo: Hotel Metropole

The projects at SLU, with the collective name UD40, include research in collaboration with partners in Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and Central Asia and cover topics from plant genetics, reproductive health of cattle, to gender perspectives in agriculture and forestry. The symposium was an opportunity for participants to share their findings, discuss lessons learned and, in particularly, prepare plans for future collaboration in their specialty areas with project partners.

The Ambassador of Sweden in Kampala and representatives from Sida, AGRA, ANAFE, RUFORUM and TEAM-Africa were also attending the symposium.

Please read more about the UD40 projects here.

Agenda for the SLU Africa Food Security Research Symposium. Please click on the titles in the agenda for the presentations held during the symposium.

During the inauguration of SLU Global, a Memorandum of Understanding were signed between SLU and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Iita, Ibadan, Nigeria. It is the Vice Chancellor Lisa Sennerby Forsse and Director General of IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga,  who signs the five-year cooperation agreement. Photo: Eric Bongcam-Rudloff

SLU's mission is to pursue knowledge of biological resources and their sustainable utilization though education and research, as well as environmental monitoring and assessment. This goal relates to several of UN's millenium goals. Researchers, teachers and students at SLU have a long-standing commitment to contribute to poverty alleviation and global development. 

SLU is establishing a programme entitled Agricultural Sciences for Global Development (SLU Global), the aim of which is to coordinate SLU's contribution to the implementation of the Swedish Government's Policy for Global Development (PGD).

Background

About two thirds of the world's poor live in rural areas, and agriculture plays an essential role in their livelihoods. Nevertheless, FAO estimates that nearly one billion people were undernourished in 2010, and the UN millenium goal of a fifty percent reducation by the year 2015 is sadly a very long way from being accomplished.

SLU's core competence is within the agricultural sciences, including forestry and veterinary sciences, and therefore the expertise of our university has a unique and highly relevant role to play in poverty alleviation and food security. Furthermore, SLU's areas of expertise cover other urgent global issues such as energy supply, climate change, biodiversity conservation, and control of infectious diseases in animal and man.

Results of SLU's research are publicly available. This is an important complement and balance to the growing volume of research from the private sector, a large portion of which unfortunately remains outside the public domain. Hence, SLU has a global mission – and this we perform using science and education of documented high quality. 

SLU Global will coordinate, support and inform about SLU-based research, education and other activities within the PDG-context. A novel programme secretariat is under establishment .