Nextgencassava.org

nextgencassava.org

Pablo is the Alliance for Science’s Global Policy Lead and a member of the training team. He has a background in international trade and aid law, as well as experience in the development of public-private endeavors. He currently consults for the Guatemalan government and private firms, and encourages the entities to engage in social enterprise activities. Pablo’s passion is addressing social and environmental needs through scientific, technological, and market innovations, and progressive legal solutions. He has a bachelor’s degree in judicial and social sciences, is an attorney at law and notary public in Guatemala, and was awarded the degree of Master of Laws in international law with distinction from the University of Bristol, England.

Kasanda Bunda is the Principal Officer for climate change adaptation, Zambia Ministry of Green Economy and Environment.

Sheila Ochugboju speaks to Sarah Ngweya

Riaz Mulla is the executive Director of Food Secure Africa

https://foodsecureafrica.org

Dr. Channa S. Prakash is a Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Tuskegee University (USA) where he has served as faculty since 1989, and is professor of crop genetics, biotechnology and genomics  who is well recognized for mentoring under‐represented minority students. As Chief Academic Officer of the largest college on campus, he oversees nine departments and two programs spanning liberal arts and STEM subjects involving nearly 100 faculty members. His recent initiative was to expand eLearning offerings – increasing summer online courses from in 2015 to 31 courses in 2016. Along with the college of agriculture, he has overseen a new PhD program in Integrative Public Policy and Development.  Under Dr. Prakash’s watch, two new undergraduate degree programs in music and art have been launched with support from Mellon Foundation. External grant funding for projects in the college has doubled under his watch. Dr. Prakash’s key activities also include strategic planning, recruitment, enrollment management and retention plans; coordinating a range of tasks toward program excellence of the college; 

Dr. Prakash’s research expertise is on genetic improvement research on food crops of importance to developing countries. His lab was among the first to develop transgenic sweetpotato and peanut plants, and conduct pioneering genomic studies on peanut. His current research includes gene editing of crops using CRISPR/Cas9 system.   

Dr. Prakash has also been actively involved in enhancing the societal awareness of food biotechnology issues around the world. Dr. Prakash serves as Editor‐in‐chief of the journal GM Crops &Food. Dr. Prakash is winner of the prestigious 2015 Borlaug CAST Communication Award as according to CAST, he has “arguably done more than anyone else in academia or industry to promote agricultural technologies that can help feed the world’s growing population.” He was also recognized by Huffington Post as among the Top 30 social influencers in biopharma and biotech. He has an active presence in the social media, impacting nearly half million readers per month on Twitter (@agbioworld).   

Dr. Prakash is widely recognized as the leading proponent of science‐based agricultural development, especially in the use of molecular techniques including genetically modified crops. He provides technical, societal and ethical perspectives on the issue through his lectures and writings and on social media. He was instrumental in catalyzing the scientific community in many countries to get involved in public outreach on agbiotech issues. He is a popular speaker and his views and writing were covered in numerous newspapers and magazines. He has delivered nearly 1000 public lectures across 80 countries including venues such as Aspen Ideas Festival, World Food Prize, UN Forum on Sustainable Development, FAO, US Congress, and World Bank. He was invited three times to deliver lectures at the Vatican, and was fortunate to have an audience with Pope Francis and explain him the benefits of Golden Rice.  He has won numerous prestigious awards including the Morrison‐Evans Outstanding Scientist Award. He served as panel manager for the USDA’s biotechnology risk assessment grant program, chaired the minority affairs committee of the American Society for Plant Biology, and served on the USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology with Ag Secretaries Dan Glickman and Ann Veneman.

Arif Hossain is the executive director of the Dhaka-based Farming Future Bangladesh and a Visiting Fellow at Cornell University. Earlier, he worked for the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as a senior specialist in outreach and communication. For more than a decade, Arif’s expertise in communication has included hands-on experience with international development organizations, human rights, civil society and community engagement, media, and advertising. His area of professional specialization is the intersection of strategic and development communication, advocacy, policy, and good governance reform.

Prior to IRRI, Arif worked as a communications coordinator at Plan International where he coordinated communications activities with a holistic approach working with policy makers, service providers, national and international partners, and local NGOs. Prior to that, he worked at Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) as assistant manager of outreach and communications. Arif also worked as a copywriter for A Positive Advertising Ltd., newsroom editor for Banglanews24.com, and as an organizer for the Association for Culture and Education (ACE).

Arif completed his MA and BA in English from the University of Rajshahi in Bangladesh. He has a post-graduate diploma in International Relations from the University of Dhaka. He is interested in music and has received a number of national level awards as a vocal artist. He also likes to explore his passion for theater and has performed in several dramas and musical shows.

Topics of expertise: Science communications, food security, climate change, smallholder farm communities, biotechnology crops in Bangladesh (Bt brinjal, LBR potato, Bt cotton, Golden Rice), youth and agriculture, modernization of agriculture, fourth industrial revolution and agriculture, agricultural innovations, etc.

Geographic regions of expertise:  Bangladesh/South-Easth Asia

For over 40 years, Dr. Ronnie Coffman has indefatigably empowered remarkable cadres of people in the pursuit of better lives for people in some of the world’s most populous countries. He has dedicated himself to helping smallholder farmers with scarce resources whose lives are frequently bypassed by agricultural science and innovation.

Dr. Coffman is the vice-chair of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, an international consortium of more than 1,000 scientists from hundreds of institutions working together to protect the world's wheat supplies. The global effort was launched in 2005 in partnership with CIMMYT, ICARDA, FAO and the late Norman E. Borlaug. He is currently principal investigator for a wide-range of international projects focused on food security and global development, including: Delivering Genetic Gain in Wheat and NextGen Cassava. In 2013, he won the inaugural World Agriculture Prize for his achievements guiding scientific and social change across continents and generations. In 2019 he was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for his distinguished contributions to food security, including innovative research programs, support for women throughout science, and development of worldwide science communication programs.

Dr. Coffman strongly supports gender initiatives that promote professional development for young women scientists. In 2011, he was honored with the Mentoring Award from the Women in Agronomy, Crops, Soil and Environmental Sciences. In 2013, when he won the inaugural World Agriculture Prize, he donated the $50K award to Advancing Women in Agriculture through Research and Education (AWARE), an initiative at Cornell whose members believe that empowering women as an underserved group holds the greatest potential to make significant impacts in agricultural development.

He was also integral in establishing the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) program in Ghana, a program that educates and trains the next generation of plant breeders for Africa, in Africa. WACCI celebrated its 13th anniversary in 2020.

Previous positions include Associate Dean for Research (1993-2001); Director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (1993-2001); Chair of the Department of Plant Breeding and Biometry (1987-1993); and Plant Breeder at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Coffman's work has been important to the development of improved rice varieties grown on several million hectares throughout the world.  He has collaborated extensively with institutions in the developing world and has served as a board member for several international institutes.

Dr. Coffman grew up on a farm in Kentucky, and completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Kentucky. His Ph.D. is from Cornell, for which Norman E. Borlaug served on his thesis committee and oversaw his research, and with whom Coffman had a lifelong association.

Ghana is one of the African countries working to improve food security and agricultural sustainability through scientific research and innovation. A number of public institutions in the country are applying cutting edge tools to improve food staples. In this webinar, four young scientists spearheading cutting-edge research on food security crops in Ghana — Dr. John Elebu, head of cowpea and soybean projects, West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI); Dr. Agyemang Danquah, head of tomato genetics program, WACCI; Dr. Mavis Owusuaa, molecular biotechnologist, University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR); and Dr. Daniel Ofosu, research scientist, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI), will discuss their research.  The scientists will share why they’re motivated to use innovation to develop high quality, safe and nutritious crops to feed Ghana’s growing population. They will also talk about the challenges they encounter in their research and opportunities going forward for the development of good agricultural systems, improving food security, and promoting agricultural sustainability in the country.  Modesta Abugu, a PhD student in horticultural science and AgBiOFEWS Fellow at North Carolina State University, will be moderating this webinar.

Sarah received her PhD in the field of plant biology from Cornell University in 2009, for which she conducted an interdisciplinary study combining work in plant molecular biology with science communication. Her dissertation focused on the controversy over genetically engineered papaya in developing countries with a specific focus on Thailand. She came to Cornell after completing a BA in biology at Reed College. Lured by great weather, plenty of water and an unbeatable intellectual environment, she remained at Cornell University after completing her PhD to help lead a global project to help protect the world’s wheat from wheat stem rust.

Sarah is the founder and inaugural director of the Alliance for Science—a global communications effort based at the Boyce Thompson Institute that promotes evidence-based decision-making in agriculture. She currently serves as Lead, Stakeholder Communications at Pairwise, an innovative start-up based in North Carolina.  Sarah grew up in a small agricultural village in northwest Illinois and now lives with her family in Ithaca.

Kenya is one of the African countries gearing up with research on gene edited crops to boost food  security. Among the many gene-edited products under research include  disease-resistant banana and striga-resistant sorghum. African  researchers are using CRISPR gene editing technology to protect these  staples against diseases that affect production and livelihood for  millions of farmers in Africa.

Join expert panelists Dr. Leena Tripathi, principal scientist in plant biotechnology at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA);  Josphat Muchiri, deputy director technical services at Kenya National Biosafety Authority (NBA), and Dr. Steven Runo,  principal investigator of striga species on sorghum and associate  professor at Kenyatta University as they address questions about Kenya’s  readiness to adopt gene editing research and products.  Specifically,  they will discuss the potential of genome editing research to improve  Kenya’s food security. They will also share insights into the regulatory  landscape and public sector perspective in conducting gene editing  research.

Doris Wangari, a biotechnology regulatory expert in Kenya, will moderate this event.

Biotechnology is a powerful tool that is starting to be used for enhancing the nutritional content of fruits and vegetables. One of the first of these new generation crops is the genetically modified purple  tomato, improved for higher levels of anthocyanins, a naturally  occurring anti-inflammatory compound that protects against various forms of chronic, diet-related human diseases. Join the developer of the purple tomato, Prof. Cathie Martin of the John Innes Centre, as we discuss the science and motivation behind GM purple tomatoes.  Nathan Pumplin of Norfolk Plant Sciences and Eric Ward,  president of AgBiome, will discuss the regulatory status and market  perspectives of this product, especially with regard to the pending US  Department of Agriculture decision on purple tomatoes. Modesta Abugu, a doctoral student in horticultural sciences at North Carolina State University and 2015 Alliance for Science Global Leadership Fellow, will serve as moderator.

According to a recent critique published in Scientific American magazine, “GM crops are rooted in a  colonial-capitalist model of agriculture based on theft of Indigenous  land and on exploiting farmers’ and food workers’ labor, women’s bodies,  Indigenous knowledge and the web of life itself.” The Alliance for  Science was singled out as implicated in this supposed model of  exploitation. Yet this political rhetoric is itself problematic,  obscuring urgent needs to improve food security and tackle environmental  challenges and denying the role of science in solving real-world  problems. In this live event, our panel of expert fellows — all from the  Global South — address head-on the so-called “agroecology” critique and  show how critics of biotechnology risk harming the interests of  resource-poor farmers in countries like Bangladesh, Kenya and Ghana by  denying them access to new tools.

Speakers include Arif Hossain, CEO and Executive Director of Farming Future Bangladesh (FFB); Patricia Nanteza, AfS associate director of training and founder of Science Stories Africa; and Nassib Mugwanya, doctoral candidate of agricultural and extension Education, North Carolina State University. Joseph Gakpo Opoku,  journalist from Ghana, will moderate. Note: Dr. Maywa Montenegro de Wi,  an agroecology professor and co-author of the critique, was invited to  dialogue but she declined.

Global climate change, rapid population growth and shifting diets are  creating intense pressures on agricultural systems. The recent advent  of CRISPR/Cas as an additional tool for gene editing has spurred  countless innovations in crops and livestock. From improved yields to  enhanced drought tolerance, gene editing has enabled a range of  promising improvements in a vast array of organisms. In this AfS Live  webinar, three young scientists will discuss their work in gene editing  for agriculture, their hopes for the technology and the role they seek  to play in shepherding the next generation of agricultural  biotechnology.

Panelists include Nicholas Karavolias, a Ph.D.  candidate at the Innovative Genomics Institute, home of CRISPR/Cas  technology, at the University of California, Berkeley. His work seeks to  provide an overview of how gene editing has been applied in agriculture  for climate adaptation. He uses CRISPR/Cas9 in rice to generate  varieties that are more drought-tolerant, and in cassava to improve  nutritional attributes. Maci Mueller is a Ph.D.  candidate at the University of California, Davis. Her work explores the  relative advantages of gene editing and conventional breeding to drive  the genetic improvement of cattle. Navneet Kaur is a  Post-Doctoral Research Scientist at Rothamsted Research and a 2019  Alliance for Science Global Leadership Fellow. Her expertise is in the  area of plant molecular biology and metabolic engineering, specifically  focused on provitamin A biofortification of banana.

Sarah Evanega, director of the Alliance for Science, will moderate.

Mexican farmers, scientists and consumers are facing the uncertain implications of a new national policy banning the import and cultivation  of genetically modified (GM) maize. Though Mexico’s President framed  his decree as supporting sustainable agriculture and improved quality of  life for farmers, it’s becoming apparent that banning scientific  innovation from the country’s fields will have significant consequences  on productivity, food prices and trade policies. In this AfS Live  webinar, fifth-generation Mexican farmer Gina Gutierrez and Mexican  economist Fernando Cruz Morales will discuss the decree and those most  likely to be impacted if it is implemented as written. The Gutierrez  family farm cultivates 40 hectares of crops to produce silage for its  420 milking cows. Gina Gutierrez started the La Vida Lactea dairy  advocacy group on social media, holds a master’s degree in corporate law  and is the 2018 winner of the Global Farmer Network’s Kleckner Award.  Morales has more than 15 years of experience in the public finance and  policy sectors, developing policies related to the agri-food sector,  environment and energy. In the private sector he has consulted with  firms focused on the development of market research, new business  development and negotiations with senior managers. He holds master’s  degrees in public administration as well as economics and public policy.  In recent years he has perfected his management capacity at the Pan  American Institute of Senior Business Management (IPADE) with a focus on  private equity and agribusiness.  Luis Ventura, a scientist and the  Alliance’s Mexico-based contributor, will moderate the session.

Nutritional insecurity is a pressing topic around the globe. Some nations struggle with widespread lack of access to nutritious foods and the related hunger, while other nations are facing significant challenges related to increasing levels of obesity due to diets high in fats, sugars and processed carbohydrates. The Alliance for Science is hosting a conversation that explores the impact that gene editing can have in developing and cultivating nutritious foods that will help to address these intractable problems and positively transform our food systems. Join our independent UN Food Systems Summit dialogue to hear from and engage with a panel of experts in the field of gene editing, nutrition and policy. Speakers include Dr. Lawrence Haddad, executive director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN); Dr. Tom Adams, co-founder and CEO of Pairwise; Dr. Cecilia S. Acuin, associate professor in the Institute of Human Nutrition and Food at the University of the Philippines Los Baños; Ambassador Dr. Miguel J. Garcia-Winder, Former Undersecretary of Agriculture/Mexico; and Patience Koku, CEO of Replenish Farms in Nigeria.  Dr. Sarah Evanega, director of the Alliance for Science, will moderate.

In East African countries, bananas are an important staple food and cash crop. However, most of the East African bananas are susceptible to pests and diseases, threatening the livelihoods of over 30 million people. Scientists in Kenya and Uganda are developing and testing hybrid cultivars resistant to Black Sigatoka disease,  the most serious constraint to banana production. 

In this episode, Patricia Nanteza will interview scientists who are developing and promoting the adoption of these hybrid banana varieties. Ivan Kabiita Arinaitwe is a banana breeder at Uganda’s National Banana Research Program, Mary Mwangi is a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology  and Biotechnology at Kenyatta University and Grace Wamue is an associate professor of Sociology, Gender & Development Studies at Kenyatta University. They will talk about the potential of these high-yielding new hybrids to boost farmers income and food security in Africa, as well as the gender issues associated with this research.

African scientists across the continent are hopeful that gene editing is a tool that can support Africa’s food security by helping to increase crop productivity, enhance nutrition and make crops more resilient to climate change. Gene editing research is already being used to improve major staple foods in Africa, such as maize, sorghum, wheat, cassava, yam, sweet potato and banana, among others, and the research results are promising. In this session, Andrew Kiggundu, project manager of Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa (VIRCA) at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, will be discussing gene editing with James Karanja, KALRO; John Odipio, NARO Uganda, and Rose Harriet Okech, IITA-Kenya. The three scientists are working in various capacities to advance gene editing research in Africa. They will discuss opportunities and anticipated challenges as they use this tool in developing improved and climate resilient crops for Africa.

The UN Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit has invited all sectors of society to share their perspectives and solutions. Independent Food Systems Summit Dialogues are being convened around the world both before and after the Summit, effectively crowdsourcing sustainable solutions to strengthen local and global food system. This summit dialogue will explore the role of agricultural biotechnology in transforming food systems for the better by increasing the yields, efficiency or resilience of staple crops.

The line up of global speakers includes: Graham Brookes, PG Economics – UK; Motlatsi Musi, farmer, South Africa; Aileen Garcia, International Rice Research Institute – Philippines; Arif Hossain, CEO of Farming Future Bangladesh; Vitumbiko Chinoko, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, Kenya; André Tomas Vilela Hermann, Synthetic Biology Club – Brazil; John Komen, Komen Bioscience Consultancy, Netherlands; Navneet Kaur, Indian post-doctoral researcher, Rothamsted Research – UK; Daniel Norero, Neocrop Technologies, Chile; Joseph Opoku Gakpo,  Ghana Agricultural and Rural Development Journalists Association; and convenor Pablo Orozco, Alliance for Science, Berlin.