Annual Report 2012 - African Agricultural Technology Foundation

28 AATF Annual Report 2012
personnel responsible for CFT activities are familiar with regulatory
compliance requirements throughout the duration of the CFT including
post trial monitoring and removal of volunteers. The trainees were also
encouraged to hold similar training to share the knowledge on CFT
compliance with all the site staff and conduct periodic audits to prevent
any cases of non-compliance.
As the Project progresses into 2013 and as partners conduct multilocational
field testing of the Maruca-resistant trait in two farmer preferred
varieties in Nigeria, the regulatory compliance team will commission a
suit of studies to compile food and environmental safety data on the Bt
cowpea for commercialisation.
Stakeholder engagement
The communication and outreach team continued with awareness creation
and engagement activities during the year. A one-day media training
was organised in December 2012 aimed at strengthening journalists’
understanding of biotechnology. The training focused on plant breeding
and agriculture, gene modification, and the role of media in biotechnology
communication. The highlight of the training was the interaction between
scientists and journalists on prevailing issues around biotechnology.
The Project also held a stakeholder sensitisation workshop in
November 2012 at the IAR, Nigeria. The workshop updated stakeholders
on progress made in research and development of the Maruca-resistant
cowpea varieties to enhance their understanding of the technology being
used in the Project, and get their support and goodwill. The workshop was
attended by over 200 participants who included academicians, research
scientists, legislators, students, farmer cooperatives, agro-allied companies
and non-governmental and community based organisations, and the
media.
‘The Project made significant progress with CFTs in Nigeria and
Burkina Faso recording consistent results with previous trials that
confirmed the efficacy of the tested events against the Maruca pod borer.
Ghana also achieved a major milestone with the grant of the approval to
conduct CFTs. This has paved way for multi-locational trials in Nigeria
and a CFT in Ghana that will accelerate the Project’s development phase
and enable the timely deployment of the improved varieties to our
smallholder cowpea farmers,’ said Dr Prince Addae, the Cowpea Project
Manager at AATF.
Deploying agricultural technologies for farmers