Science Allies - Biotechnology, Agriculture, Ecology, Health, and Critical Thinking

The term agroecology is being used increasingly often, but what exactly does it mean? Is it a science, a system, a practice, a movement, an ideology or a combination of the above?  Our panelists will share their definitions of the term and discuss where agroecology can best be implemented. What are some of the opportunities and constraints in its adoption? What is driving the agroecology movement? What does it have in common with other systems of agriculture? And what role can it play in making agriculture more sustainable?  The panelists are: Pamela Ronald, professor in the Genome Center and the Department of Plant Pathology, and founding director of the Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy, at the University of California, Davis; Frédéric Baudron, senior scientist and systems agronomist at CIMMYT; and Nassib Mugwanya, Ugandan agricultural communications specialist and PhD candidate at North Carolina State University. Joan Conrow, Alliance for Science managing editor, will moderate.

Prof. Shabir A. Madhi, professor of vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Dr. Michael Owusu, a clinical microbiologist and a lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, discuss Africa’s critical role in the global efforts to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.   Topics include the current status and safety of clinical trials of vaccines; how vaccines are developed and distributed; the policy and regulatory requirements for development,  registration, access and use of vaccines; the safety and efficacy of vaccines; the role of public sentiment in accepting or rejecting a COVID vaccine; and political will and its impact on vaccine access on the continent.  Dr. Mercy Korir, a health journalist and editor with The Standard Group in Kenya, moderates the discussion.

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), an Alliance for Science partner, leads this discussion on technology adoption in Africa. Dr. Munyaradzi Jonga, AATF’s seed production manager, and Dr. Daniel Kyallo Willy, a program officer with AATF, share evidence about the speed at which African farmers are taking up new improved crop varieties and discuss concrete, actionable steps on how to improve technology adoption in Africa. Nancy Muchiri, AATF’s head of communications and partnerships, moderates the discussion.

Eliane Bayala, a 2019 AfS Global Leadership Fellow and assistant coordinator at the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Burkina Faso, teams up with  Dr. Edgar Traore of OFAB Burkina Faso and Wiledio Naboho, a farmer in Burkina Faso, to give an update on the country's agriculture sector two years after banning BT cotton. This session is in French.

Alliance for Science Global Leadership Fellows Evans Okomeng (Ghana) and Alfred Namaasa (Uganda) discuss how COVID-19 is impacting agriculture and food security in Africa. Can small-scale agricultural systems become more resilient under health pandemics? What lessons can be learned?  Please note that technical difficulties meant that Veronica Mwaba (Zambia) was unfortunately unable to attend as planned and both Evans and Alfred had video connection problems.

Dr. Mercy Korir, a medical journalist with KTN News in Kenya, teams up with Dr. Wilson Winstons Muhwezi, associate professor of behavioral sciences and mental health at Makerere University, to discuss the myths and truth surrounding COVID-19 in Africa. They also offer guidance to governments as countries start to ease lockdowns. Christine Elong, development communications officer at the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) in Uganda, moderates the talk.

Prof. Trevor Charles, chief science officer of Metagenom Bio and director of Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research, discusses what he sees as the future of agriculture — hydroponics. As the global population increases, the availability of land remains static, yet food production must continue to expand. Are vertical farms and other hydroponic production systems sustainable and cost-effective? Can we grow more food without soil? Dr. Charles addresses these questions and more.  #afslive #allianceforscience #hydroponics

En esta sesión vamos a conversar con mujeres empoderadas en la ciencia que compartirán experiencias ejemplares en la constante búsqueda de la equidad de género en el sector.  Sol Guerrero Ortiz: Es Bióloga con una maestría en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre. Actualmente trabaja con cooperación internacional en temas de medio ambiente con énfasis en integración de la conservación y el uso sostenible de biodiversidad. Es parte del cohorte 2016 del Programa de Liderazgo Global de la Alianza para la Ciencia de Cornell.  Susana Arrechea: Ingeniera química, maestra y doctora en nanotecnología, actualmente trabaja como investigadora y como profesora. Arrechea ha desarrollado proyectos de nanotecnología, emprendimiento e innovación en Guatemala e internacionalmente. Es una científica reconocida con varios premios como el OWSD-Elsevier para mujeres investigadoras.  Dalia Marcela Lewi: Ingeniera Agrónoma con orientación Fitotecnia (UBA) y Doctora en Ciencias Biológicas de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Actualmente (desde 12 de mayo de 2020) es la Directora de Biotecnología del Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca de la Nación Argentina. Lideró el Grupo de Transformación Genética Vegetal en el Instituto de Genética de INTA hasta hacerse cargo de la Dirección en el Ministerio.

Four African women farmers discuss the innovative measures they are using to get their crops to the public despite Africa's lockdowns and travel restrictions during the COVID pandemic.

Abebe Menkir has been breeding maize for over 20 years. He currently heads the maize breeding department at CGIAR-IITA. Menkir talks to Patricia Nanteza about the need to increase agricultural resilience in the face of climate change and global pandemics such as COVID-19. Maize, especially the orange variety, can provide the vitamin A necessary to boost immunity and also meet the body’s energy requirements.