Scientific Innovations will Trigger Green Revolution in Africa

In an International Conference held in Jerusalem, Dr. William D. Dar, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), challenged politicians, policy makers, and scientists about the critical leadership that both the ICRISAT and Israel's Center for International Cooperation (MASHAV) can bring to the green revolution initiatives in the drylands of sub-saharan Africa.

Dr. Dar called on African governments to be more supportive of their rural poor by adopting policies that encourage agriculture. He also cited ICRISAT's scientific innovations such as improved crop and tree cultivars that would diversify production system and increase incomes; drip irrigation systems for water use efficiency in agriculture; and Dryland Ecofarm systems - a crop-tree-vegetable-livestock systems that focus on rainwater harvesting.  He further suggested five priorities for the Israeli research and development community that include:(1) develop and disseminate high-value horticulture crops; (2) build entrepreneurial capacity of African farmers; (3) conduct hydrological surveys and irrigation feasibility studies for sustainable irrigation projects; (4) build new irrigation facilities based on drip-irrigation; and (5) develop or rehabilitate seasonal dams to capture surface rainwater and raise water tables.

Details of the press release can be viewed at:http://www.icrisat.org/Media/2008/media8.htm