University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receives $4.7 million
grant to improve cropping systems in Asia and Africa
Send a link to a friend
[September 23, 2015]
URBANA,
- Smallholder farmers in Asia and Africa will soon have the ability
to produce more food and nutrition on the same land base, while
protecting the natural resources required for its production. A new
group, the Appropriate Scale Mechanization Consortium (ASMC) will
help determine tools, technologies, and methods that best suit
smallholder farmers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia and Burkina
Faso.
|
Jerry Glover, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Advisor to the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced
that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been
chosen as the lead institution of the ASMC for the Feed the
Future Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab (SIIL). The
4-year, $4.7 million project will be funded by USAID as part of
Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food
security initiative.
“Providing appropriate scale mechanization opportunities for
smallholder farmers from land preparation to harvesting,
threshing, and cleaning is critical for saving time and drudgery
of human labor, which in turn can help intensification of
farming systems,” said Vara Prasad, Director of the SIIL at
Kansas State University.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Sep/22/images/ads/current/graue_sda_june2015.png)
“We will focus on specific value chains in terms of crops — rice
in Asia and maize in Africa — and we’re also looking at
vegetables in Cambodia and this will expand into Ethiopia as
well,” said Project Lead Alan Hansen. “We will also look at ways
to improve the use of animal power in Africa, working with
Tillers International, an NGO that has over 15 years of
experience in the development of animal-powered mechanization in
Africa. In terms of technology, we are looking to create a
multifunctional modular platform that will allow us to explore
tillage, planting, cultivation and harvesting applications,
minimize costs and improve adoption,” he said. “For instance, a
big issue with rice is planting. Most is transplanted — a very
laborious process. So there is a lot of interest in direct
seeding, which can accelerate that process.”
Hansen said there is a specific focus on easing the burden on
women since they typically perform many of the labor-intensive
farm tasks that have not been the focus of past mechanization
efforts.
“There are many women involved in vegetable production," he
said. “Can we design tools specifically for women to empower
them to do the work?”
As work begins in each of these countries, Hansen said they will
create innovation hubs at specific institutions that have
already been identified. “These institutions have substantial
capacity and expertise,” he said, “and will enable us to network
with the rural communities, small holders and entrepreneurs,
NGOs, and faculty and students within the universities
themselves. Over time, these hubs will be used to develop
resources, training, and set up workshops to develop the local
manufacturing of implements.”
Hansen said that in four years these
innovation hubs should be self-sustainable.
“Our goal is to intensify production of food in a sustainable
way,” he said. "That means increased productivity, yield,
quality, and improved health, while accounting for the effect on
the environment and the use of limited resources and energy.”
[to top of second column] |
Hansen emphasized that this work has been and will continue to be
a team effort involving members from the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, Michigan State University, North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University, and Kansas State
University.
“All the team members have unique backgrounds and experience
that have already been leveraged to help define the scope and
direction of this ASMC program,” Hansen said “All are actively
involved in teaching, research, and outreach in developing
countries that will complement the efforts envisioned for this
program. We look forward to working with USAID and Feed the
Future in reducing global poverty and hunger by accelerating
growth in the agricultural sector with the aid of
mechanization.”
Faculty from the University of Illinois’ College of
Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) are
members of the Illinois team and include K.C. Ting, Professor
and Department Head of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
(ABE); Alan Hansen, Project Lead and Professor in ABE; Prasanta
Kalita, Professor in ABE and Director of the Archer Daniels
Midland Institute (ADMI) for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss;
and Alex Winter-Nelson, Professor in Agricultural and Consumer
Economics and Director of ACES Office of International Programs.
ADMI will provide extra support for the project, justified by
the scope of the program including the development of
technologies for in-field use that can lead to reduced
postharvest losses as well as its current activities with
partners in Bangladesh and Ethiopia in collaboration with the
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest
Loss at Kansas State University.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Sep/22/images/ads/current/Symphony_lda_091814.png)
About Feed the Future: Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s
global hunger and food security initiative. With a focus on
smallholder farmers, particularly women, Feed the Future
supports partner countries in developing their agriculture
sectors to spur economic growth and trade that increase incomes
and reduce hunger, poverty and undernutrition. For more
information, visit www.feedthefuture.gov.
[Leanne Lucas, News and Public
Affairs
University of Illinois College of ACES] |