Changing weather patterns and an increasing human population are expected to raise interest and demand for alternative crops to be grown as food sources. Iowa State University was recently selected to participate in an international collaborative effort to train African plant breeders to improve the genetics of traditional and indigenous food crops and to help boost farm productivity.
Walter Suza, George Washington Carver Endowed Chair and adjunct associate professor in agronomy, was instrumental in getting Iowa State designated as a support entity in the U.S. Department of State Office of Global Food Security’s Feed the Future Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils Capacity Activity. The VACS Movement, launched in February 2023 in collaboration with the African Union and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, aims to diversify the types of “opportunity” crops grown, improve nutrition, build healthy soils, and empower researchers, all in an effort to establish a more resilient food system.
There are many challenges in increasing cultivation of traditional and indigenous crops in Africa, Suza said, including a shortage of plant breeders and the soils are often hard to work with. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) will carry out the VACS Capacity activity, which will create new breeding programs and educate research professionals about traditional and indigenous crops such as amaranth, Bambara groundnut, finger millet, grass pea, mung bean, okra, pigeon pea, sesame, taro and tef.
Educational resources will come from Iowa State’s Plant Breeding e-Learning in Africa (PBEA) modules, updated to reflect current practices and target information specific to the traditional and indigenous crops. Iowa State will collaborate with CIMMYT to deliver this content to the three flagship VACS Capacity hubs in Africa – International Livestock Research Institute, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement.
“I firmly believe that education can lift people and nations out of food insecurity,” Suza said. “This partnership will ensure that VACS Fellows benefit from accessible, cutting-edge educational resources that enhance their skills in crop improvement and related fields.”
The VACS Fellows will consist of professional breeders and graduate students from African universities. The three VACS Capacity hubs will pair fellows with mentors and provide training related to plant breeding, lab and research techniques, and soft skill development.
“I am grateful to the Department of Agronomy, my Iowa State plant breeding colleagues, as well as external collaborators and funders for their support in making PBEA a success. We should really be proud as a university of all the international work we do and the impact we’re making,” Suza said. “Iowa State’s involvement in the VACS initiative will continue efforts that bring our institution to the forefront and highlight our international efforts.”
Contacts
Walter Suza, Department of Agronomy, 515-294-4138, wpsuza@iastate.edu
Whitney Baxter, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications, 515-294-2314, wjsager@iastate.edu