6th August 2010

In this edition of GCP News, we are pleased to bring you a series of key eye-witness accounts of all the goings-on during GCP’s cassava events in Ghana which took place towards the end of July. In addition, some brand new materials and an opportunity from a sister Challenge Programme await our readers.

Victors over vectors: Improving cassava for Africa
July 2010 was ‘cassava month’ at GCP, with three key meetings.

Accra, Ghana, was the setting for all three events, kindly hosted by the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The first two events ran simultaneously. The Cassava Data Management Workshop was from 19th to 21st July. Participants were instructed in the art of data management strategies for GCP’s cassava projects by Arllet Portugal; The 3rd annual meeting of the cassava breeders in Africa’s Community of Practice (CoP) was from 19th to 22nd July, and was opened by Dr Mrs RoseEmma Mamaa Entsua-Mensah, Deputy Director General, CSIR.

The final event from 23rd to 24th July, was the Cassava Challenge Initiative (CI) Launch Meeting, officiated by Hon Sherry Ayitey, Ghana ’s Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, who gave the keynote address and officially launched the CI, and by Dr Abdulai B Salifu, Director General, CSIR, who gave the welcome address. The opening session for the CI meeting was chaired by Dr Hans Adu-Dapaah, CRI Director. More

The cassava breeding community in Africa is indeed rising to the challenge to fortify ‘Mother Cassava’, the crop of hope.

2. Workshop materials now available
The materials from the IBP Data Management Workshop and the Data Analysis Workshop, which took place respectively from 31st May – 4th June and from 7th – 11th June at CIHEAM, Zaragoza, Spain are now available at the links above.

...From partners 

3. CCAFS Call for Proposals
The Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Challenge Programme is requesting the submission of project proposals for the development of an initial analogue methodology and proof of concept for identifying and mapping spatial and temporal analogue sites across the globe based on multiple climate projections. Applicants should have a strong modelling and computational background, and proven track record in development of similar tools/methodologies. Those with already advanced analogue methods will be given preference. The deadline for submission of applications is 10th August 2010. Scroll down on this page.