The Borlaug Institute recognizes that partnerships are necessary for affecting change in Africa. The Institute has a long history of partnerships on the African continent and looks forward to expanding those partnerships with international agricultural research centers, international development foundations, NGOs, corporations, local communities, and national governments.
Following the example of Dr. Borlaug, his Institute will continue to assist in using agriculture to prevent conflict, focus on developing entrepreneurship and leadership in African youth, build long-term partnerships with researchers and teachers and African universities, and promote the spread of appropriate technologies to African farmers through functional and innovative extension services.
Programming will support training of African agricultural leaders, research in agricultural development, and cooperative extension with African communities. These partnerships will perpetuate the Borlaug legacy in Africa through developing African capacity in agricultural science. Norman Borlaug provided an example of how one man can fight against poverty and hunger. The Borlaug Institute boldly follows. For more information on the African programs of the Borlaug Institute, please contact us at borlauginstitute@tamu.edu.
WCR Team Finds Wild Arabica Coffee in South Sudanese Forest
This past April, a team of experts representing World Coffee Research traveled to the Boma Plateau in South Sudan on a germplasm collection expedition through the forest. The plateau sits across a valley from Ethiopia, considered the origin of the Arabica coffee species. Staff members from the USAID-funded project titled JGMUST: A Consortium for Development hosted the coffee experts. The JGMUST project is based at the John Garang Memorial University for Science and Technology in Bor, South Sudan, and is led by the Borlaug Institute. Two students, Thon Nyok Dor and Major Ayuen, as well as one faculty member, Dr. Richard, from the South Sudanese university accompanied the coffee experts on the expedition. Read More →
Policy Brief: South Sudan, Conflict and the Way Forward
The last thing South Sudan needs is war with Sudan. While skirmishes have intermittently erupted between South Sudan and the country from which it gained independence last July, the past few weeks have been the most volatile. South Sudanese forces captured then withdrew from the oil-rich border town of Heglig and the Sudanese Air Force responded with repeated bombings across their southern border. South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir stated that with the recent bombings Sudan has “declared war” on his nation while Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has vowed not to negotiate with the “poisonous insects” in the South Sudanese government. Read More →
Ukulima Farm: Former AgriLife Extension Agent Takes on New Role in South Africa
Article written by Paul Schattenberg for AgriLife Today. Read the article on their website here. ALMA, South Africa – A former Texas AgriLife Extension Service county agent is now farm manager for the Ukulima Farm Research Center in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Bob Whitney, who retired as an AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture for Williamson County and had previous agency positions in different counties, has been at the center in his new role since March. Bob Whitney, a former Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent with extensive… Read More →