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Background.
NGICA has begun working in partnership with the African Agriculture
Technology Foundation (AATF) to develop a project to increase cowpea
productivity and utilization in Africa.
Under that partnership and thanks to Rockefeller funding, Larry
Murdock and administrative assistant Katy Ibrahim were able to work with
the AATF leadership to plan and convene a meeting of cowpea stakeholders
in Accra, Ghana, February 10-12, 2004.
Workshop
objective. To develop a process and to formulate a plan for a cowpea
improvement in sub-Saharan Africa and to provide the intellectual and
organizational framework for a successful project. Project activities
will use modern plant improvement technologies to create
superior-performing cowpea cultivars with novel traits as well as
develop or promote ancillary cowpea production, utilization and
marketing technologies. The
ultimate aim was to bring the benefits of modern technologies to African
cowpea farmers and consumers.
There
were thirty eight participants at the workshop which included
specialists from National Agricultural Research Systems, the CGIAR,
Purdue University, University of California, University of Virginia,
Michigan State University, the Bean/Cowpea CRSP, University of Ghana,
USAID, The Kirkhouse Trust, and private sector biotechnology specialists
as well as AATF and NGICA participants. The Forum for Agricultural
Research in Africa (FARA) provided local logistic support.
Accomplishments
of the workshop
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