Cassava Growth Markets

UK: Natural Resources Institute (www.nri.org)

The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) is a specialist institute of the University of Greenwich. Established more than 100 years ago, NRI provides research, consultancy, training and advisory services to underpin sustainable development, economic growth and poverty reduction. The institute has a programme of work focused on post-harvest aspects of tropical root and tuber crops in which research and development activities have been undertaken in Africa, Asia and South America.

NRI will lead the project, their staff are experienced in management of European Union funded projects.

MAIN CONTACT - Project Co-ordinator: Keith Tomlins

Nigeria: FUNAAB Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (www.unaab.edu.ng)

FUNAAB is one of the three universities of agriculture established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in January 1988. FUNAAB provides teaching, research and extension services including consultancy, training and advisory services to ensure sustainable agricultural development, income generation and poverty alleviation in Nigeria. They have a programme of work focused on pre- and post- harvest issues on tropical commodities such as cassava, yam and sweet potato as well as other foods, and in other industrial and livestock sectors in Nigeria. Specific skills that FUNAAB will bring to the project include: post-harvest technology, processing, food quality and safety, value chain assessment and enterprise development, all with specific emphasis on tropical root and tuber crops.

Principal scientific contact: Lateef Sanni 

Ghana: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Food Research Institute (FRI) (http://www.foodresearchgh.org)

The Food Research Institute (FRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research conducts market-oriented applied research in the area of food science and technology and provides technical services and products to the food industry in Ghana. FRI is the lead institution for post-harvest research and development in Ghana, and is the first institute in West Africa to receive accreditation to ISO 17025.

Principal scientific contact: Nanam Tay Dziedzoave

Uganda - Africa Innovations Institute (AFRII) (http://www.afrii.org/)

AFRII bring extensive cassava production and post-harvest, marketing and livelihoods experience. The team in AFRII were responsible for extensive research on cassava improvement in the country. Further, they were responsible for the control of cassava mosaic disease pandemic which devastated the crop in Uganda and the neighbouring countries during the 1990s.
The organisation operates through a well articulated vision, mission and strategy and programmes developed through a participatory and consultative process all aimed at achievement of the millennium development goals and the goals of NEPAD.

Principal scientific contact: Francis Alacho

Malawi: University of Malawi (UNIMA) (http://www.chanco.unima.mw/)

Chancellor college under the University of Malawi has been involved in collaborative research and outreach work on cassava for over 20 years with funding from various funding agencies.
The college aims to advance knowledge and to promote wisdom and understanding by engaging in teaching, research, consultancy, outreach and by making provision for the dissemination, promotion and preservation of learning responsive to the needs of Malawi and the world.

Principal scientific contact: Prof John Saka

Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC) (http://www.tfnc.or.tz/eng/index.htm )

TFNC has long experience of working in post-harvest technologies of cassava since 1994. Earlier the organisation in collaboration with NRI, trained and disseminated the low-cost fresh cassava storage technology which assisted farmers and traders selling fresh cassava that could store fresh for a minimum of seven days.
The Centre is a semi-autonomous government institution under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, established by Tanzania Food and Nutrition Act Number 24 of 1973. TFNC is recognised for generating and coordinating intiatives that enable Tanzania to become a well-nourished nation. It aims to provide expert guidance to actors at various levels through research, advocacy, education and training, for the provision of quality nutrition services to the Tanzania community in the prevention and control of all forms of malnutrition.

Principal scientific contact: Grace Mahende

Tanzania: Naliendele Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) (http://www.agriculture.go.tz/naliendele/index.html )

NARI is the national body with over 50 years of research and development experience on cassava and with the overall responsibility of crop improvement in Tanzania. It was NARI who first recognised CBSD in the 1980s as a real threat to food security, and called for concerted efforts to control the disease. Since then NARI has been at the forefront of CBSD research and particularly involved in the development of CBSD-tolerant varieties that are widely cultivated in the region.

NARI is one of seven agricultural research zonal centres in Tanzania under the Ministry of Agriculture, and Food Security. It was established in 1970 and entrusted with a mandate to conduct agricultural research that addresses the needs and aspirations of the farmers, particularly improved crop productivity and quality.

Principal scientific contact: Geoffrey Mkamilo

India: Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) (Associate) (http://www.ctcri.org/)

CTCRI is India's leading research institute on tropical root and tuber crops. They have a strong crop utilisation department that carry out a range of projects on cassava utilisation funded by the Indian government. They bring specific expertise in drying technologies and in utilisation of cassava flour and starch.
CTCRI received remarkable progress in Research and Development on tropical tuber crops during 2008-2009. The institute started functioning in July 1963, and an All India Coordinated Research Project on Tuber Crops (AICRPTC) was started at CTCRI in 1968 with three centres at Dholi in Bihar, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
The Institute is also one of the centres of All India Coordinated Research Project on Harvest and Post Harvest Technology, and they are conducting basic and applied research on various edible tropical tuber crops.

Principal scientific contact: Dr J.T. Sheriff