Africa College Seminar

Thursday 9 May 2013

1:00pm

Roger Stevens Lecture Theatre 16

Professor Willhelm Gruissem
ETH Zurich

Can we feed the world in 2050? A special focus on challenges for cassava production in Africa.

Host: Christine Foyer

Wilhelm Gruissem has been full Professor of Plant Biotechnology in the Institute of Plant Sciences at the ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) since July 1, 2000. He was elected President of the European Plant Science Organization (EPSO) in 2006.

In 1983 he was appointed to the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley as professor of plant biology. He was Chair of the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at UC Berkeley from 1993 to 1998, and from 1998 to 2000 he was Director of a collaborative research program between the Department and the Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute in San Diego.

His research focuses on systems approaches to understand pathways and molecules involved in plant growth control. He also directs a biotechnology program on trait improvement in cassava, rice and wheat. Together with colleagues in China he is currently directing the Shanghai Centre for Cassava Biotechnology in China.


All Welcome

The future of food security depends upon our management of multiple ecosystem services. Do pollinators of crops and natural enemies of crop pests have similar responses to environmental change?

Might we be able to manage both pollinators and natural enemies, at the same time and on the same farms, for the simultaneous supply of pollination and pest-control services?

I will present my recent meta-analysis of pollinators and natural enemies and my ongoing work with bees and predatory wasps in Kenyan smallholder farmland.

Africa College Seminar

Thursday 21 February - POSTPONED

1:00pm

SEE Seminar Room 8.119, a&b

Dr Les Firbank, University of Leeds and Dr Bruce Grieve, Director of Syngenta Sensors University Innovation Centre, University of Manchester

"A new generation of cheap, robust soil moisture sensors for Africa"

One of the challenges facing agriculture in Africa and elsewhere is that ability to know the condition of the soil. In the past, appropriate sensors have tended to be large, power-hungry and very expensive, and so their use has been very restricted. Now, new technologies are emerging which allow the development of small, cheap and robust sensors, that can be used much more widely, for monitoring, in experiments and to support decision making by farmers and their advisors.

Africa College has supported the development of such a soil moisture sensor through a large grant. The seminar will explain how the sensor has been developed, and the first batch of prototype sensors will be revealed.

Across large parts of the African continent, the spatial density of climate information remains low and access to that information which does exist is hampered by poor communication networks and the lack of institutional capacity. However, in recent years the volume of climate data available to policy-makers has increased as a result of sustained efforts from a number of research institutions in Africa and elsewhere, working in partnership with national and international meteorological agencies. For example, the CORDEX (CO-ordinated Regional climate Downscaling EXperiment) project now provides downscaled climate change simulations at a 50 km resolution across the entire African continent. Yet combining multiple sources of uncertain climate data and distilling this information into societally relevant output requires a continued dialogue between climate information providers and the users of that information. In southern Africa, the information needs of different users vary substantially and there are cultural, socio-economic, political and institutional barriers to the successful uptake and interpretation of climate information. Given the urgent need for climate-resilient development, and acknowledging the deep nature of climatic uncertainties, what relevance does regional climate information have for adaptation decision making? In this talk, I will discuss research examining the use and interpretation of current and future climate information for adaptation decisions in a southern African context, highlighting some of the dangers and opportunities associated with the provision of regional climate information. I will present some of the ongoing work being carried out in the Climate System Analysis Group (CSAG) at the University of Cape Town, specifically drawing on experiences working with decision makers and climate services providers in South Africa and Malawi. In addition, I will share initial thoughts on a paper examining the role of regional climate information in the management of complex socio-ecological systems.

New date to be announced shortly.





Building Adaptation and Resilience through the UK's International Climate Fund

David Howlett
Head of Adaptation and Water Resource Management Team
Climate and Environment Dept, DFID

Africa College Seminar

Thursday 24 January 2013

1:00pm

Roger Stevens Lecture Theatre 15

Professor John Bryant
Emeritus Professor
University of Exeter

"Africa from the armchair: ethical and environmental challenges"

Abstract:
I will start by thinking about widely used and accepted images of Africa and contrasting these with wider realities. I will then introduce conventional ethical 'frameworks' and discuss how they may be applied to environmental and world development issues. The rest of the talk will focus on specific environmental (e.g. climate change, use of natural resources) and development (e.g. poverty, food security) case studies, with the aim of stimulating good general discussion.

Host: Christine Foyer

All Welcome

2:30pm
Dr. Frank Nyame
University of Ghana
"The Challenges of Mainstreaming Artisanal and Small Scale Mining in sub-Saharan Africa: towards a pragmatic approach"

4:00pm
Professor Rosaleen Duffy
University of Kent
"Capturing and Entraining Nature: elephant tourism in the context of neoliberal crisis"

5:30pm
Dr Jonny Steinberg
University of Oxford
"The thing about whites is that they got things done": statecraft in the high apartheid period and how it is remembered now

Wine and refreshments will be served at the end.

The Researchers in Development PhD Network (RiDNet) is a multi-disciplinary, cross faculty network for PhD and early career researchers working in international development at the University of Leeds. The purpose of the network is to share ideas and build links among PhD and early career researchers working on development issues.

The Welcome Event is a great chance to meet new as well as existing PhD and early career researchers working in the area of development, and to get more involved in the network. The event will be mainly a networking/ getting to know you event, we'll also be discussing future plans of the network. To register for the event please e-mail ridnet@leeds.ac.uk

To find out more about RiDNet or to join the e-mail distribution please click on the link above

Centre for Global Development Annual Lecture

Professional Error and Ignorance in Development
Professor Robert Chambers, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Sussex

18 October 2012
Conference Auditorium 2, University of Leeds
17:30-19:00

Abstract: With hindsight, looking back over the development decades, professional knowledge has again and again proved to be wrong. Professionals have also been unaware of or neglected major gaps and opportunities. This has been the case not only in more obvious policies, but also in methodologies, in development practice, and in technical and specialised fields such as agriculture, health and nutrition. This lecture will seek to present and analyse some of these errors and gaps, and explore the questions: what do they have in common? What perpetuates error? What have been our major areas of ignorance? Why do gaps remain unrecognised, unresearched and unexploited? And most importantly, what can we learn from how errors have been corrected and gaps and opportunities opened up? This will lead to asking: what are the implications for us, as development professionals, for our research, teaching and practice?

Biography: Robert Chambers is a research associate at the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex where he is a member of the Participation, Power and Social Change team. An undisciplined nomad and failed manager of rural development, his field experience has been mainly in East Africa and South Asia. His books include: Rural Development: Putting the Last First; Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last; Ideas for Development; Revolutions in Development Inquiry; and most recently Provocations for Development. Among his current concerns and interests are professional knowledge, ignorance and error, power, and participatory methodologies including community-led total sanitation.


Event will be followed by a drinks reception

Call for Abstracts

Conducting Fieldwork in Development Contexts: Reflexive Approaches to Practical Issues

Inaugural Researchers in Development Network (RiDNet) Conference
27 September 2012, University of Leeds

Conducting research in development contexts comes with its own challenges. On top of common issues such as research design, methodology and planning, a set of context-specific issues has to be taken into account. For example, cultural differences may disrupt communication, corruption may hamper access, ethical issues may be more stringent, and interaction with different social groups may prove challenging.

The multi-disciplinary, cross-faculty Researchers in Development Network (RiDNet), under the Centre for Global Development at the University of Leeds, has identified a need for active and intensive engagement with fieldwork preparation and reflection among early career researchers. The first RiDNet conference 'Conducting Fieldwork in Development Contexts: Reflexive Approaches to Practical Issues' is an opportunity to share challenges, experiences, and best practices.

Themes for the conference include:

? What (not) to say: Communicating with participants, research assistants and interpreters
? There is more to it than honesty: Ethical implications of development research
? Taking sides: Dealing with high level officials, local elites, and development organizations
? Under threat: Working in hostile environments
? A matter of transparency: Coping with corruption
? Participant expectations: Claims for compensation and stakeholder engagement

The University of Leeds Researchers in Development Network invites postgraduate and early-career researchers to share their valuable experiences through short presentations (10 minutes) in themed panels. The conference will feed into a new research note series focussing on the practicalities of conducting research in development contexts.

We invite you to send us a 150 word problem focused abstract on one of the above themes. Please outline the theme you are addressing and the issue you want to discuss, including possible solutions. Send your abstracts by 20 July 2012 to ridnet@leeds.ac.uk. We look forward to discussing reflexive approaches to practical issues in fieldwork with you in September!

If you would like to attend, please contact the Africa College Research Coordinator: Susan Dray: s.dray@leeds.ac.uk

RiDNet Brown Bag Lunch Series
(Participant) Observation and Ethnographic Immersion

17 July 2012
13:00-14:00
Baines Wing, 1.16

The Researchers in Development PhD Network (RiDNet) invites PhD students and early career researchers across the disciplines to attend a Brown Bag Lunch Series designed to explore different methods of doing research in low to middle income countries and to discuss ongoing research projects. During this Brown Bag Lunch we will discuss (participant) observation and ethnographic immersion.

What is a Brown Bag Lunch?

A Brown Bag Lunch is a loosely organised meeting, aimed at capturing issues of current interest. Each meeting will include a 5-15 minutes 'kick-start' presentation followed by a 50 minutes discussion session. It is a great opportunity to network to share concerns, and to discuss ongoing research.

Why is it called Brown Bag Lunch Series?

The seminars are held around lunchtime. Participants bring their lunch or tea along.

What are the topics?

Our Brown Bag Seminars will focus on the more practical aspects of doing research. This may involve the discussions of research methods and software, of particular studies or data fragments, conceptual ideas or strategies for fieldwork research. Gain insight into new and different ways of doing research by hearing what is and is not working for your peers.

For more information email cgd@leeds.ac.uk

Buffet lunch provided.



Do you need funding for:

- Collaborative International and interdisciplinary research (1.5-10 million Euros available per project)?
- International networking?
- Bringing an international senior academic to Leeds?
- Visiting another institution outside of the UK?
- Training PhD students?

If so, come and find out what the European Commission's FP7 2013 research funding calls have to offer African-focussed research.

All welcome! For catering purposes, please contact Susan Dray if you would like to attend.

Host: Howard Atkinson

Dr Tilahun Zeweldu will take rural Ethiopia as a case study to discuss multidimensional challenges and suggest simple and practical steps to solve complex health, food and nutrition problems.

Abstract: Since 2008, international commodity prices have more than doubled and food prices have skyrocketed. Malnutrition rates, which were on the retreat for decades, have started to rise again and food protests have erupted in dozens of countries. Experts think this is the tip of the iceberg and argue we are entering a new and dangerous phase of human history where food security threatens to destabilize economies and drive millions into poverty. While most agree on the nature of the problem, few agree on the right solution. Dr. Fraser, a Canada Research Chair, will discuss the different types of solutions that are proposed to solve the world?s food crisis. In doing so, he will contrast the promise held by new technological innovations with the dream of sustainable food systems that are by of and for local communities. Ultimately, he will demonstrate that no single solution will work on its own and that a portfolio of strategies is required.



Biography: Evan started thinking about agriculture and food systems while spending summers working on his grandfather?s fruit farm in Niagara. There, he watched his stock-broker grandmother rake in an unconscionable amount of money on commissions from her clients? investments while the farmers around were letting their crops rot because the cost of harvesting was higher than the cost of importing from the Southern US and Mexico.

He decided, however, it was easier to write and talk about farming than actually try to make a living on it so passed on inheriting the family farm, opting instead for grad school. He did degrees in forestry, anthropology and agriculture at the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto. Since graduating from his PhD, he has worked in a policy institute, and began his academic career in 2003 at the University of Leeds in the UK where he developed a research program on rural land use and the socio-economic factors that make crops vulnerable to climate change. Throughout this time he has tried to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the challenges that face global food security. He also devotes considerable efforts to communicating with a range of academic and non-academic audiences. This talk marks the 104th public lecture, policy consultation or media interview that he has done since he was last in Leeds. Currently, he holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Human Security in the Department of Geography, University of Guelph, and is an associate of the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy.

This internal half-day work shop aims to develop Africa Colleges capability in ecosystems services by:

Sharing information about each others research and future plans in order to identify potential internal collaborations;
Developing internal interdisciplinary networks and expertise in order to have project ideas and strong collaborations in place for future funding calls with short lead-times.

Programme

09.45 Coffee

10.00 Welcome and introductions
Three-minute structured introductions from each member of staff, addressing: (i) research interests; (ii) current projects relating to the remit of Africa College; (iii) future research plans/ideas. Followed by brief introductions from postgraduate students.

11.00 Mapping exercise
Iterative mapping and discussion of current and potential research opportunities relating to: (i) collaborations and expertise; (ii) African regions/countries; (iii) scientific opportunities; (iv) funding opportunities; (v) knowledge exchange and the generation of impact.

12.00 Lunch and discussion
Identification of possible clusters and potential scoping of projects. Development of action plan.

13.00 Close

To register please contact the Africa College Research Coordinator:
Dr Susan Dray: s.dray@leeds.ac.uk

Dr Rattan Yadav
IBERS
Aberystwyth University

"Translating innovations in molecular biology to support food security in the harshest environments of the world"

Host: Alison Baker

The focus of Dr Yadav's research is to apply molecular markers in traits dissection and breeding leading to development of improved cultivars providing sustainable production and benefits to environments. In particular, he has strong research interests in the areas of drought tolerance and has extensively used genetic maps, markers and genomics technologies in dissecting complex traits contributing to crops yield under drought stress conditions. In collaboration with scientists at ICRISAT, his work has resulted in the identification, validation and breeding of a major QTL contributing to yield of pearl millet under terminal drought stress conditions. He is currently leading an interdisciplinary team of researchers from IBERS, ICRISAT, India and Ghana for fine mapping and characterisation of this important QTL and develop gene-based markers for its efficient selection and breeding into the wider gene pool of pearl millet adapted to agro-climatic conditions of India and sub Saharan Africa. At IBERS, Dr Yadav is also leading a research programme focussing on genetic improvement of nitrogen use efficiency in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) leading to reduced nitrogen losses to water from pastures and silo. He also holds a 'Collaborative Project with Scientists & Technologists of Indian Origin Abroad (CP-STIO)' award by the Department of Science and Technology, Govt of India, to facilitate marker assisted selection in crops grown in salt affected areas of India.

The next science meeting of the Met Office Group at the University of Leeds
(MOGUL) will be on 29 March in the SEE seminar room, 1400-1630.


The programme will comprise 3 science talks, and some time for discussion about Met Office matters.

1400: Introduction

1415: John Marsham - "Explaining global model biases over Africa with observations and convection-permitting modelling"

1445: John Hughes - "The COLPEX programme: measurements and ultra-high-resolution modelling of a UK microclimate"

1515: Tea

1545: Steve Arnold - "Intercontinental pollution transport and its impact on crops"

1615 - 1630: Short discussion of future plans for MOGUL, and any other Met Office related matters.

All welcome!

Africa College Seminar

Friday 9 March

1:00pm

Worsley 9.27

Dr Shona Wilson
Department of Pathology, Cambridge University

"Schistosomiasis, malaria and childhood hepatosplenomegaly in Kenya school-aged Children"

Host: Yun Yun Gong, LIGHT & Africa College

Researchers in Development Cultural Event - Tuesday 6 March

You are invited to a Cultural Event organised by the Researchers in Development PhD Network (RiDNet), under the Centre for Global Development, on Tuesday 6 March from 16:00-18:30 in Business School Maurice Keyworth SR (G.31).

Please bring along some food or a dish to share from a region of the world that you feel a connection with. The event is a great opportunity to network and talk informally with others involved in RiDNET, or to just eat a variety of food.

If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to Rosemary Morgan at cgd@leeds.ac.uk

Event: Researchers in Development Cultural Event
Date: Tuesday 6 March 2012
Time: 16:00-18:30
Location: Business School Maurice Keyworth SR (G.31)

RiDNet is a network of PhD students and early career researchers working in the area of development. For more information about RiDNet visit:

Africa College Seminar

Thursday 23 February 2012

1:00pm

RSLT 14

Dr Jon Hellin
CIMMYT

"Feeding a Hungry World: Past Successes and Future Challenges to Food Security in Maize in Sub-Saharan Africa?"

Host: Andy Challinor

Further details on Dr Hellin's research can be found on the link below

SRI Seminar Series

Wednesday 8 February 2012

4:00-5:15pm

SEE Seminar Room, 8.119

Dr Luuk Fleskens
University of Leeds

"Prospects for conserving land in desertification-based hotspots around the world"

RiDNet Brown Bag Lunch Series

'Conducting interviews during field research: Approaches, techniques and strategies'

The Researchers in Development PhD Network (RiDNet) invites PhD students and early career researchers across the disciplines to attend a Brown Bag Lunch Series designed to explore different methods of doing research in developing countries and to discuss ongoing research projects. Our Brown Bag Seminars will be held on every first Tuesday of each month.

Join us Tuesday, 7 February, 13:00-14:00, Hilary Place SR (LG.01)

When we continue our informal discussion on: 'Conducting interviews during field research: Approaches, techniques and strategies'

What is a Brown Bag Lunch?

A Brown Bag Lunch is a loosely organised meeting, aimed at capturing issues of current interest. Each meeting will include two or three 'kick-start' talks followed by a discussion session. It is a great opportunity to network, to share concerns, and to discuss ongoing research.

The seminars are held around lunchtime. Participants bring their lunch or tea along.

Our Brown Bag Seminars focus on the more practical aspects of doing research. This may involve the discussions of research methods and software, of particular studies or data fragments, conceptual ideas or strategies for fieldwork research. Gain insight into new and different ways of doing research by hearing what is and is not working for your peers.

Thursday 26 January

1:00pm

Roger Stevens Lecture Theatre 13

Dr Charlie Williams
University of Reading

"African climate variability and change: associated atmospheric, oceanic and land surface processes"

Host: Luuk Fleskens

Leeds University Centre for African Studies (LUCAS), Centre for Global Development
and Africa College Interdisciplinary Seminar:

Green Revolution and Genetically Modified Crops in Africa

Speakers: Lionel Cliffe (Geography) and Christine H. Foyer (Centre for Plant Sciences)
Date: 8 December 2011
Time: 16:00-17:30
Location: SEE Seminar Room, 8.119

SRI/CCCEP Seminar:

Pathways to a low carbon economy: the business response to climate change

Dr Helen Harwatt
Sustainability Research Institute
University of Leeds

Time: Wednesday 7 December 2011, 4-5.15pm
Location: Worsley building seminar room 9.27

Abstract:
Are companies embracing the transition to a low carbon economy? Is business practice keeping pace with the need for change? What differentiates the companies with the highest expectations compared to those with lower expectations? This seminar reports new findings that provide an insight into business realities today, whilst looking ahead at potential low carbon pathways for 2020.

Based on a nationwide survey of over 400 of the larger and more active and engaged companies, some unique insights into business perspectives and sensitivities on energy and carbon management are provided. There are some positive findings: businesses have faith in climate science, they are highly aware of the options for reducing energy use and carbon footprints, and there is confidence in the economic opportunities associated with doing so. But there are also some causes for concern: confidence in government targets is low, there is restricted access to capital and management time, and the networks for learning are at times poorly developed. Similarly, whilst some businesses expect to excel along low carbon pathways, there is also some evidence of stagnation and missed opportunities.

Together this provides a mixed picture: the prospects for incremental change are good, but the prospects for radical change are much lower. The firms that expect to accelerate most along the carbon reduction pathway seem to have some characteristics that separate them from the firms that expect lower levels of change. To provide a wider perspective, the findings are compared to similar research before drawing conclusions.

Short bio:
Helen is a research fellow at the SRI, focusing on carbon demand reduction issues in relation to businesses and transition pathways towards a low carbon economy. Before joining SRI, Helen spent 7 years at the Institute for Transport Studies (UoL), where she completed her PhD on the public response to personal carbon trading and also several climate change and sustainability projects, which focussed mainly on demand reduction amongst the public through behavioural interventions and scenario work, for clients including the UK Department for Transport, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the Northern Way, the Commission for Integrated Transport and the EU. Helen's current research interests include stimulating the uptake of pro-environmental behaviours and the impacts of doing so.

The complete SRI seminar calendar is available from the link below:

RiDNet Brown Bag Lunch Series

The Researchers in Development Network (RiDNet) invites PhD students and early career researchers across the disciplines to attend a Brown Bag Lunch Series designed to explore different methods of doing research in developing countries and to discuss ongoing research projects. Our Brown Bag Seminars will be held on every first Tuesday of each month.

Join us Tuesday, 6 December, 12:00-13:00, Baines Wing SR 2.37 for an informal initial discussion on:
'Everything you always wanted to know about... doing Interviews'


What is a Brown Bag Lunch?

A Brown Bag Lunch is a loosely organised meeting, aimed at capturing issues of current interest. Each meeting will include two or three 'kick-start' talks followed by a discussion session. It is a great opportunity to network, to share concerns, and to discuss ongoing research.

The seminars are held around lunchtime. Participants bring their lunch or tea along.

Our Brown Bag Seminars focus on the more practical aspects of doing research. This may involve the discussions of research methods and software, of particular studies or data fragments, conceptual ideas or strategies for fieldwork research. Gain insight into new and different ways of doing research by hearing what is and is not working for your peers.

RiDNet invites PhD Students and early career researchers working in the area of development to:

Preparation and Expectations for Fieldwork Research

Presenters:

Egle Cesnulyte: Kenya
Neo-liberal economic systems and sex industries:
- Researching sensitive topics
- Networking while in the field
- Health and safety assessments

Eleanor Jew: Honduras, Indonesia, Ecuador
Biodiversity and conservation research in the tropics:
- Remote locations
- Unexpected challenges
- Basic preparation

Jessica Rucell: Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma
Human rights documentation and humanitarian intervention:
- Research as an outsider
- Refugees and IDPs
- Active, and post-conflict

Whether you're a seasoned traveller/researcher or whether you will be going for the first time, everyone worries about how to prepare for fieldwork and what to expect once they're there. As many of us in the same situation RiDNet has organised a firldwork seminar. Whether your fieldwork is in a rural area in the "developing" world or an urban conglomerate in Europe, you can both gain and give something valuable to the discussion.

There will be three short presentations by people from differing research backgrounds both in terms of geographical locations and in the type of research conducted. This is a great opportunity to pick up tips, and to discuss any issues and worries you may have with a diverse group of people with a wide range of experiences who are all in the same situation.

When?
Tuesday 22nd November, 16:00-17:30 (and discussions can continue at the pub afterwards).

Where?
Baines Wing SR (2.15)

Who?
For more information please email either Beth Harrison or Ellie Jew

RiDNet
The Researchers in Development PhD Network (RiDNet) is a network for PhD researchers and early career researchers working in international development at the University of Leeds. The purpose of the network is to share ideas and build links among PhD researchers and early career researchers working on development issues. For more information abour RiDNet, visit our website:

"Air Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa- the link to sustainable development"

Dr Kevin Hicks is a Senior Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Environment Department, University of York, UK.

His research interests focus on the transfer of scientific information to the policy process and cover: air pollution impacts on terrestrial ecosystems from local to global scales; ecosystem service approaches to environmental management; the potential for integrated policies on air pollution and climate change; and air pollution issues in developing countries.

He has organized international workshops on air pollution impacts to ecosystems and attended UNECE scientific and other national/international meetings on air pollution issues, as well as being involved in the European Nitrogen Assessment and the UNEP/WMO Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone.

He has also worked on projects for the UK government and conservation agencies related to nitrogen impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and the development of the ecosystem service approach. He is a co-founder and part of the secretariat of the Global Atmospheric Pollution Forum www.gapforum.org

Leeds University Centre for African Studies (LUCAS), Centre for Global Development
and Africa College Interdisciplinary Seminar:

Bio-Fuels and Land Dispossession

Gordon Crawford (POLIS) and Lindsay Stringer (Earth & Environment)


Time: Wednesday 9 November, 4.30-6pm
Location: School of Earth and Environment seminar room 8.119
This seminar is preceded by the SRI seminar: The emerging EU-Brazil Strategic Partnership: The Environment Deimension by Stavros Afionis at 3:00pm
Tea and Coffee will be provided in between the seminars


Abstract
'Land grabbing' in Africa by other (non-African) countries and private sector companies is increasingly making international headline news. Much of the attention has focused on land grabbing for biofuel cultivation, supported by concerns over fossil fuel depletion, energy security and climate change. Yet, the debate surrounding biofuels remains highly polarised as questions are raised about their true ability to deliver greenhouse gas emission savings and deliver developmental benefits to those countries in which land grabs are taking place.

In this seminar we examine the key drivers behind biofuel cultivation in Africa and draw on case study examples from across the continent to explore the role of scale in understanding what biofuel cultivation can mean for land users and other actors in the biofuels arena. We argue that investment in biofuels at different scales leads to different local-level impacts and while land dispossession and disempowerment of the poor occurs in some cases, careful management of smaller-scale biofuel cultivation can deliver important local development benefits and lead to local empowerment in other situations. As such, the issue of biofuels and land grabbing needs to be viewed through a more nuanced and context-specific lens, and should consider the costs and benefits to different groups within society across different scales.


Bios
GORDON CRAWFORD is Professor of Development Politics in the School of Politics and International Studies at the University of Leeds. He is Director of the Centre for Global Development and Co-Editor of the journal Democratization.

LINDSAY STRINGER is the Co-Director of the Sustainability Research Institute and a Reader in Environment and Development. She has worked extensively in Africa, mostly on issues linked to environmental change, land use and livelihoods.

SRI Seminar:

The emerging EU-Brazil Strategic Partnership: The Environment Dimension

Stavros Afionis
Research Fellow, Sustainability Research Institute


Time: Wednesday 9 November, 3-4.15pm (The SRI seminar is followed by a joint LUCAS/CGD/Africa College interdisciplinary seminar: "Biofuels and land dispossession".)
Tea and coffee will be provided in between seminars courtesy of LUCAS/CGD/Africa College.
Location: School of Earth and Environment seminar room 8.119


Abstract
Summit diplomacy with major global players has always been a consistent feature of the European Union's external relations. Yet, following the adoption of the 2003 European Security Strategy (ESS) the Union has sought to significantly broaden its diplomatic portfolio by strengthening its relations with key emerging regional players, taken into account their growing economic and political significance. In 2007, Brazil became one of the latest countries to be listed among the EU's strategic partners; a token of the latter's recognition of the place Brazil today occupies in global affairs. While trade issues obviously dominate the agenda, environmental protection is nevertheless a stated priority, with the two actors aspiring to work together to combat climate change, protect the environment and preserve biodiversity. In particular, it is in the fields of renewable energy (mainly biofuels) and deforestation that prospects for cooperation are deemed to be rather promising. Even though areas of divergence and challenges remain, the opportunities that have surfaced are significant and deserving attention. This article critically analyses the growing strategic partnership between Brazil and the EU and assesses its effectiveness and future prospects.

Bio
STAVROS AFIONIS is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, working on sustainability policy and guidelines on biofuels from the European Union. He studied political science in Greece and holds a MA (Dist.) degree in Environmental Politics and a PhD in International Relations & Politics, both from Keele University. His main research interests focus on international climate change negotiations and EU environmental and energy politics.

You are invited to the Centre for Global Development Annual Lecture:

Pathways to Sustainability: Environment, Health and Social Justice in a Complex, Dynamic Age
Professor Melissa Leach, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Sussex

Date: 3 November 2011
Time: 17:00-18:30
Location: Yorkshire Bank Lecture Theatre, University of Leeds Business School

Event to be followed by a drinks reception
To RSVP please e-mail: cgd@leeds.ac.uk

Abstract: Rapid environmental and social change are today posing new global challenges across agriculture, health and development. In addressing these, how might pathways to sustainability - that link environmental integrity with social justice - be built? Focusing particularly on the challenges of maintaining food security amidst climate change in Africa, and addressing emerging infectious diseases and pandemic threats, Melissa Leach will explore this 'pathways approach' in action, considering how and why powerful actors and institutions so often close down around particular framings of sustainability problems, committing to particular pathways that emphasize maintaining stability and control.

Biography: Professorial Fellow at IDS Melissa Leach has since 2006 directed the ESRC STEPS (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) Centre. She originally trained as a geographer (MA Cambridge) and social anthropologist (PhD London). Over the last twenty years she has been closely involved both in ethnographic fieldwork, speaking four African languages, and in extensive interdisciplinary research. This has engaged anthropology with historical, ecological and science and technology studies approaches, as well as working with foresters, agricultural and medical scientists.

She has led and managed many large, interdisciplinary research programmes involving multi-country teams. Her work has forwarded new perspectives in several fields, including the anthropology of environment and development; gender-environment relations; the environmental entitlements approach to institutions and natural resource management, environmental and forest history and challenging 'received wisdoms' about environmental change. Melissa's recent work has explored the politics of science and knowledge in policy processes linked to environment and health; addressing vaccine controversies, scientific uncertainties, citizenship and public engagement; cultural and political dimensions of vaccine delivery; medical research trials, emerging infectious diseases, and ecology-health linkages.

The Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy's 2011-2012 Public Lecture Series: Autumn lecture (part of the ESRC's Festival Of Social Science) 'Climate Change and Society'

Speaker: Distinguished Professor John Urry, Lancaster University

Chair: Professor Andy Gouldson, Director, Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy

Time: 5-6pm, Tuesday 1st November 2011

Venue: Lecture Theatre 20, Roger Stevens Building, University of Leeds

Abstract : The various sciences of climate change have made it utterly clear that 'human behaviour' is essential to understanding the causes and impacts of so-called 'global warming'. However, the discipline that so far mainly represents and models human behaviour is Economics. But this is a problem because its account of 'humans' is partial and unlikely to produce appropriate policy recommendations. People should be rather seen as creatures of social routine and habit, but also of fashion and fad. These patterns of routine and fashion stem from how people are much of the time locked into and reproduce different social practices and institutions. Purchases of goods and services and especially their uses help to constitute these social practices and it is such practices that are the very stuff of life. Thus I examine how the 'social' should be positioned at the heart of the analysis of why climates are changing and of assessing and developing alternative futures. I especially consider the importance of social practices that over time are organised into powerful 'socio-technical' systems. In the fateful twentieth century a cluster of interlocking high carbon systems were established and sedimented. And in this new century it is systems that have to change, to move from growing high carbon systems to a cluster of those that are low carbon. Various scenarios of differing futures for the middle of this century contain significant costs for the scale, extent and richness of social life. And this is because there are indeed huge limits to developing low carbon systems. The low carbon cluster of interdependent systems needs to be put in place now in order to slow down the scale of changing climates and energy descent, which together contain many dangers for future societies.


The speaker: John Urry BA, MA (economics), PhD (sociology), Cambridge. Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Lancaster University; Council Member of the Academy of Social Sciences; Chair RAE Panels (1996, 2001); Fellow RSA; Honorary Doctorate, Roskilde. Currently, Director of the Centre for Mobilities Research.

Urry has been a science expert on a Foresight Programme (2005-6), a member of the Science and Engineering Review of DfT (2009) and co-author of Electric Vehicles for RAE (2010). Published c35 books including Mobilities, Networks, Geographies (2006), Mobilities (2007), Aeromobilities (2009), After the Car (2009), Mobile Lives (2010), Mobile Methods (2010), and Climate Change and Society (2011). Currently writing on 'peak oil'.

The Researchers in Development Network (RiDNet) invites PhD students and early career researchers across the disciplines to attend a Brown Bag Lunch Series designed to explore different methods of doing research in developing countries and to discuss ongoing research projects.

Our Brown Bag Seminars will be held on every first Tuesday of each month, starting with the 1st of November.

What is a Brown Bag Lunch?
A Brown Bag Lunch is a loosely organised meeting, aimed at capturing issues of current interest. Each meeting will include a 5-15 minutes 'kick-start' presentation followed by a 50 minutes discussion session. It is a great opportunity to network, to share concerns, and to discuss ongoing research.

Why is it called Brown Bag Lunch Series?
The seminars are held around lunchtime. Participants bring their lunch or tea along.

What are the topics?
Our Brown Bag Seminars will focus on the more practical aspects of doing research. This may involve the discussions of research methods and software, of particular studies or data fragments, conceptual ideas or strategies for fieldwork research. Gain insight into new and different ways of doing research by hearing what is and is not working for your peers.

When is the next Brown Bag Lunch?
The first Brown Bag Seminar will be held on
Tuesday, 1 November 2011, 1pm
Liberty Building, Room G.29
(New Law School, behind the Business School, room is on the ground floor, down the main corridor to the right)

Join us for an informal initial discussion on:
'Everything you always wanted to know about doing research'

SRI Seminar:

How to better understand the impact of your research

Jane Tinkler
Research Lead on the Impact of Social Science Project
LSE Public Policy Group, London School of Economics


Time: Wednesday 26 October 2011, 4-5.15pm
Location: School of Earth and Environment seminar room 8.119

Abstract
With the new Research Excellence Framework in 2014 introducing an impact element into academic assessment, there is an increased need for researchers to better understand the impact of the work that they undertake and publish. The 'Impact of Social Science' project is a three year study based at the LSE that also involves colleagues at Leeds University and Imperial College London. The aim of the project is three-fold: to understand in more detail how academic impacts happen; how impacts can be measured taking into account disciplinary differences; and looking at the impact of academic work on three case study areas of government, business and civil society.

This presentation will discuss the findings of the project and will examine both academic and external impacts of research in the social sciences. It will cover definitions of impact, how impacts can be measured and tracked and tips for increasing impact of both individual research and research across groups and units.

Bio
Jane Tinkler has been Manager of the LSE Public Policy Group since September 2005. She is the Research Lead on the Impact of Social Sciences project, which is based at the LSE working with Leeds University and Imperial College London. She is authoring a book on the findings of the research (along with Patrick Dunleavy) due to be published by Palgrave in mid-2012. Her other areas of expertise are digital public services on which she co-authored a book entitled Digital Era Governance: IT Corporations, the State and e-Government in 2006. She is also co-editing a book on innovation through design approaches in public services, which will be published by Gower in 2012. Lastly she is co-authoring a book on citizen redress in UK public services being published by Edward Elgar in 2012.

Previous to this, she was Managing Editor of the journals, Political Studies and Political Studies Review for six years. She also was a Research Fellow in the School of Public Policy, University College London. Her first degree was in psychology and business at Leeds University and she later took an MSc in social sciences at Birkbeck College, University of London.

"Muddying the waters? Foreign Agricultural Land Acquisition and the visibility of water resource impacts in sub-saharan Africa"

Joint SRI and Africa College Seminar

Professor Lionel Cliffe
School of Geography
University of Leeds

"Drought in the Horn: a possible agenda of questions and initiatives"

This two-day conference will bring together scientists using GM technologies in the main European crops. There will be sessions on novel transgenic technologies, GM risk assessment and authorisation in EU, candidate gene research for input and output traits in crop species and novel GM approaches to pest and disease management.

DEADLINE FOR CALL FOR PAPERS IS 15 NOVEMBER 2010

Food security, Health and Impact

22nd -24th June 2011, Devonshire Hall, University of Leeds, UK

Sharing lessons in translating research results into impact for food security, nutrition and human health

Conference Questions

• How can the results of basic science and inter-disciplinary research lead to increased impact on food security and human health?


• How can partnerships between research and development organisations deliver innovation and impact?

Networking and knowledge brokering sessions will take place during the conference.

Registrations are invited from national and international research organisations, development agencies, donors, civil society and the private sector working on food security, nutrition and human health

Submissions of conference papers and posters are invited by 18th April

Conference fee: £150 day delegate, £300 residential delegate. Financial assistance available for African delegates on application. Reduced rates for PhD students and Africa College members.

Registration

Each delegate must complete a separate registration form in block capitals. Completed registration forms to be returned to africacollege@leeds.ac.uk

Unless you are requesting financial assistance payment must be made in full to register for the conference. Payment by credit/debit card can be made using our fast and secure Leeds Online Store. Other payment options are available, please see the notes and conditions for further details.

University of Leeds members should include an account number for the conference charge and an internal transfer will be raised.

Sponsored by

The conference will take place at Devonshire Hall which has a long standing reputation for the welcoming and friendly atmosphere extended to its delegates. It is situated in a quiet residential area just one mile from the main University campus

The African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) is organising its Third Symposium from 12-14 April in Accra, Ghana.

All are welcome to attend the symposium (self-sponsoring).

More information is available from Max Olupot AFAAS.

Two Degrees Up: Climate Change Photofilms showing & discussion

with David Howlett and Prof. Andy Challinor

5 to 6pm, 17th March, School of Earth & Environment Building, Seminar Room 8.119


The Two Degrees Up is a series of short climate change photofilms. They highlight the possible
impact of rising temperatures on smallholder agriculture in Colombia, Ghana and Kenya.

Is two degrees too much?

The Two Degrees Up photofilms mark the recent launch of the CGIAR?s research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

Public Lecture

10th March 2011

Future of Food and Farming
Professor Sir John Beddington CMG FRS
Government Chief Scientific Adviser

1 pm to 2pm
(please be seated by 12:50pm)

Clothworkers Concert Hall
University of Leeds

Sir John Beddington will present the findings of the Government?s Foresight Global Food and Farming Futures Report, and discuss how to feed a future population of 9 billion people healthily and sustainably in the face of climate change


All are welcome to attend the seminar and entry is free but registration is required to avoid disappointment.

Please register by email to Liz Liversedge register

Africa College Seminar

Thursday 3 March

Seminar Room 8.119, SEE Building

Dr. Steve Jennings
Head of Programme Policy Team, OXFAM GB

Science, innovation and power: an NGO perspective on agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa

Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa faces a future of increasing resource scarcity and volatility. This seminar will explore the role of science and development practitioners in supporting African farmers to face these challenges.

Steve gained his doctorate in tropical rainforest ecology, and continued research on the regeneration ecology and management of tree species, predominantly in the Brazilian Amazon. In 2001, he left academia to work as a consultant on natural resource management, working all over the world on forest management and agricultural sustainability. He joined Oxfam shortly after the India Ocean tsunami, working originally on livelihoods in the tsunami-affected areas, before formulating and driving Oxfam's programme work on climate change adaptation. He was appointed Director of Programme Policy in 2010, where he leads Oxfam's research, technical advisory and publication's functions.

Dr. Jennings seminar will be followed by an interactive discussion starting in SEE 8.119 and after 3.30 continued in Garstang seminar room 7.52


All Welcome

FBS is planning a series of free professional development workshops on the theme of "Research Impact".

These will enable participants to develop their understanding of the many ways in which academic research can deliver impact, and provide opportunities for participants to develop their thoughts about the potential impact of their own research.

The first workshop "Understanding and planning for impact" will take place on 14th February 2011, 09.30-13.30, in the School of Earth and Environment seminar room 8.19. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

In outline the workshop will cover:
? An introduction to the Excellence with Impact agenda
? A series of presentations outlining the different ways academics at Leeds have delivered impact from their research
? An opportunity for delegates to think through the ways in which their research could deliver impact
? Discussion and opportunity for feedback on individual impact ideas.

Places are limited - please register by sending an email to Sally Whiteman (s.a.whiteman@leeds.ac.uk ) giving your name, faculty, institute/group and role.

Africa College Seminar

Thursday 10 February 2011

1:00pm

Roger Stevens Lecture Theatre 14

Professor Julie Scholes
University of Sheffield

Striga in resource-limited African agriculture: impact and combat

Striga is an angiosperm parasitic plant infesting cereal crops and leading to serious yield losses, especially in resource-limited agriculture.

Professor Scholes, Professor of Plant and Microbiological Sciences at the University of Sheffield, works on biological methods to improve crop resistance to striga.

Further details of Professor Scholes research can be found by clicking the link below


If you would like to meet with Professor Scholes during her visit please contact Luuk Fleskens email

The Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy?s 2010-2011 Public Lecture Series: Spring lecture: ?Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change: are the carbon markets up to the job?'

You are cordially invited to attend the Centre?s Spring public lecture, by Keith Allot, head of WWF-UK's climate change programme, details of which follow below .

No reservation is required but places in the lecture theatre are available on a first come first served basis.


Speaker: Dr Keith Allot, Head of WWF-UK's climate change programme

Chair: Professor Jouni Paavola, Deputy-Director, Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy

Commentator: Professor Andy Gouldson, Director, Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy

Time: 5-6pm, Tuesday 1st February 2011

Venue: Geography East LT (G.23) http://www.teachingspace.leeds.ac.uk/room_details.asp?ID=1-01-086-2559-GR%20-G23 (Building 36 on the campus map which can be downloaded at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/campusmap)

Abstract : The UK and EU have invested much energy and political capital in carbon markets as a key element of the global framework to address climate change. In the aftermath of Copenhagen and Cancun, it is important to ask whether these mechanisms are driving clean investment and innovation in industrialised countries, and whether offsetting approaches, such as the Clean Development Mechanism, are in need of radical reform or replacement

The speaker: Dr Keith Allott is head of WWF-UK's Climate Change Programme, leading a team that works on issues including the international climate change negotiations, implementation of the UK Climate Change Act, UK energy policy, emissions trading, climate change adaptation and aviation. Before joining WWF, Keith spent most of his career working as Deputy Editor at ENDS, the leading publisher of information and analysis on UK and EU environmental policy. He also worked for the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and contributed to its 2000 report on Energy & Environment - the source of the Government's original target to reduce the UK's CO2 emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.

How science can contribute to poverty alleviation in Africa ? examples and lessons learned

EQUIP is a team of researchers and practitioners from the UK climate modelling, statistical modelling, and impacts communities. They are motivated by the need to equip society for adapting to climate change by quantifying uncertainty and by studying and integrating a range of disciplines. EQUIP is focussing principally on lead times of 2-20 years and are also developing a broader network of academics and practitioners with related interests. The network permits members to interact with EQUIP and to contact each other and form collaborations.

The first EQUIP conference will be held at the Mint Hotel (formerly the City Inn), Leeds on the 19th - 21st Jan. It will showcase EQUIP work and provide opportunities for feedback and involvement in the project. Speakers both internal and external to EQUIP will present key topics, such as methodologies for quantifying uncertainty, assessing the information content of ensembles and evaluating predictions. Stakeholder-led approaches will be presented, along with analyses of our key impacts case studies: droughts, heatwaves, crop production and marine ecosystems.

If you would like to bring a poster, we ask for a brief (<200 words) description. There may be space in the programme for one or two discussion sessions, and we welcome brief descriptions of ideas for 1-2 hour facilitated sessions.

We hold a budget to enable travel and subsistence for a number of attendees. To apply for this, please prepare a brief description of your work, stating the lead times you study and whether the work is published or in progress, and indicate how you would seek to interact with the EQUIP network. Please also tell us the amount you wish to apply for. As there is a limited budget, it is unlikely that we will be able to support a significant number of international travellers.

To register for the conference, please email Kate Thompson [K.Thompson@leeds.ac.uk] by the 15th of November, including the words 'poster' , 'discussion' , 'funding' in the subject line, as applicable. Your place will be confirmed by the 30th of November, together with our response to any requests to contribute and/or fund attendance. If you can't attend the conference, but would like to be part of the network, please contact Kate, indicating your affiliation and a few words on your research interests.

Draft Agenda for the EQUIP Conference

WEDNESDAY, 19TH JANUARY

Session 1 (am): Climate Change, Uncertainty and Society: Key Perspectives
To include presentations from:
Andy Challinor (University of Leeds and EQUIP) and Chris Ferro (University of Exeter and EQUIP)
Matt Lipson (Climate Change Risk Assessment)

Session 2 (pm): Improving Treatments of Uncertainty, with Case Studies in Food Crops and Marine Ecosystems
To include presentations from:
Philip Thornton (CGIAR), Andy Challinor and Questions
Gerjan Piet (Wageningen University and Research Centre, Netherlands), Icarus Allen (Plymouth Marine Laboratory and EQUIP) and Questions
Arthur Petersen (PBL - Netherlands), Lenny Smith/Dave Stainforth (London School of Economics and EQUIP) and Questions

THURSDAY, 20TH JANUARY

Session 3 (am): Risk Management and Evaluation, with Case Studies in Droughts and Heatwaves
To include presentations from:
Nikos Christidis (Met Office Hadley Centre), Gabi Hegerl (University of Edinburgh and EQUIP) and Questions
Speaker (TBC), Chris Ferro and Questions
Steve Jewson (Risk Management Solutions), Myles Allen (University of Oxford and EQUIP) and Questions

Session 4 (pm): Influencing Policy and Decision-making
To include joint EQUIP/NCAS panel discussion on IPCC AR5/CMIP5 and EQUIP HFP Session (Andy Morse and HFP)

FRIDAY, 21ST JANUARY

Session 5 (am): EQUIP WP Interactions and Cross-cutting Issues

Professor Kunert will discuss the development of plant science in Africa based on his experiences and long-term collaborations in academia and industry.
Professor Kunert has worked extensively in capacity building programs in Africa. He is based at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and works in close collaboration with international scientists in the UK, Canada and US. Programs with relevance to Africa are aimed at the development of human resources in research areas of demand in Africa, particularly plant molecular biology, plant transformation, plant physiology/ biochemistry and bioinformatics. In one of the projects undertaken with Leeds University, the legume improvement project (LEGIM) project, the processes responsible for the premature senescence in soybean nodules induced by environmental stresses are being investigated using three interactive scientific areas - namely, gene discovery in legume nodules, characterization of the nodule proteinase/ proteinase inhibitor systems, and nodule transformation. The successes and challenges of such capacity building programs will be discussed.

This is an Africa College sponsored seminar

Climate change and a rising population have put a lot of pressure on African agriculture to produce ?more for less?. Considerable gains can be made when plants can be made to use available nutrients more effectively.
Dr. Gregory conducts research at two scales. The rhizosphere is a very active region for physical and chemical changes in soils. Non-invasive imaging has proved a novel tool for investigating root growth in soils and the movement of insects towards roots and is being developed to examine other processes. The second scale of his research is global with interests in global environmental changes and food security. This research is undertaken as part of the activities of Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS) and with staff at the University of Dundee.

This is an Africa College sponsored seminar.

Thinking the unthinkable ? step-changes in urban transport to create sustainable urban futures

Agriculture is where climate change, food security, and development intersect! Around 500 policymakers and negotiators, journalists, rural development practitioners, farmers, civil society and the agriculture and climate change scientific community will be brought together in this event that features a marketplace of ideas, keynote speeches and exhibits.

Agriculture and Rural Development Day 2010, held in parallel to COP16, will bring agriculture sector adaptation and mitigation strategies to the forefront of the global climate treaty negotiations. It will demonstrate clearly that agriculture is where climate change, food security, and development intersect. It informs the climate change negotiations and advocates for a COP decision on a 'work program for agriculture' - and at the same time looking beyond the negotiations.

Planned 2010 themes

* Agricultural intensification as an REDD strategy
* Agricultural mitigation and carbon sequestration
* Adaptation for food security and development outcomes
* Capturing carbon finance, including through forestry, for agricultural development
* What scientific, technological, and methodological aspects need to be considered under a UNFCCC work programme on agriculture?

Read more:

Registration/Enquiry

Please send an email to: jefcas@bradford.ac.uk

'Using performance to understand women's issues in Uganda: The Buganda intergenerational Women's Theatre Project'
Jane Plastow is Professor of African Theatre at the University of Leeds, as well as being director of LUCAS. Her own research interests are particularly in African Theatre, especially in East African and The Horn, women in African theatre, and theatre for development.

Dr Simon Potts, University of Reading

Biodiversity, ecosystem services and food security

Host: Bill Kunin

Experiences being on research council grant assessment boards

'AIDS and the commodification of suffering'
Dr Nadine Beckmann of University of Oxford, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, completed her DPhil in 2008. Her thesis explores the complex negotiations involved in Zanzibaris explanation and management of HIV/AIDS in the light of technical and wider global changes.

Contemporary Nigerian Theatre; or how (not-) postcolonial we are.
Dr Chukwuma Okoye, has joined the University of Leeds Workshop Theatre as our Newton International Fellow for two years (as of October 2009) from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He is undertaking research into The Postcoloniality of African Theatre and Performance.

Professor Ian Graham, University of York

'The CNAP Artemisia Research Project: Tackling Malaria with Fast Track Plant Breeding'

Host: Alison Baker

Following the seminar there will be a workshop in the Miall Museum, 2-3pm, for anyone who would like to learn more about this topic.


Abstract:

Malaria is contracted globally by 200 - 300 million individuals a year. The sesquiterpenoid artemisinin is the most effective treatment for malaria and the plant Artemisia annua L. (Asteraceae) is currently the only source of this drug. However, the artemisinin content of A. annua is low (<1% of the leaf dry weight). Increasing the artemisinin content of this plant would help to improve the supply chain to meet the increasing demand for Artemisinin Combination Therapies.

The Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP: http://www.york.ac.uk/org/cnap/) Artemisia Project aims to develop new high yielding varieties of Artemisia annua. There has been little history of breeding in A. annua; however, the recent publication by the CNAP team (Graham et al., Science, 2010: 327 pp 328 ? 331) of the first genetic map of A. annua is enabling development of this species as a robust high yielding crop. The project has undertaken a combination of strategies to generate hybrids of A. annua with improved yield (artemisinin content and biomass). A high throughput screen for plants with increased artemisinin content has enabled selection of potential parent lines. Subsequently Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for yield have been identified in a replicated mapping population, and it has been demonstrated that high yielding parent lines are enriched for these QTL. The first hybrids generated through this research programme have now been tested in experimental field trials in Africa and Europe. These data indicate that a number of hybrids have improved yield compared to the industry leader Artemis. The project is on track to deliver the first new hybrids to developing world farmers and extractors by 2011-2012.

The CNAP Artemisia Research Project is led by Professors Ian Graham and Dianna Bowles and funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project builds on work financed by the Medicines for Malaria Venture and GlaxoSmithKline, and core funding to CNAP from the Garfield Weston Foundation.

Further details of Prof Graham?s research can be found at:

Climate change adaption modelling and scenario analysis

Africa College is a participant for the BBSRC Excellenece with imapct award. The final visit from the judges will take place on Monday 1 November.

The Excellence with impact award acknowledges university departments that are most active in embedding a culture that recognises the importance of economic and social impact alongside excellent research.

The competition is running from 1 December 2008 to 1 December 2010 with selected departments being monitored over this period.

Two prizes of £150,000 will be awarded for:

The department that has been most effective in introducing a significant culture change, which values impact as well as research excellence
The department that best demonstrates the delivery of economic and social impact over the period
There will be a runner-up prize of £25,000 in each category.

Prizes will be given at an award event in central London in March 2011, with national publicity for the winning departments.


Visit of EWI panel assessment visit to Africa College, University of Leeds,
Monday 1st November 2010
PROGRAMME

Venue Seminar Rooms in the School of Earth and Environment (level 8 room 8.19 abc)
The presentations will take place in the seminar rooms, 8.119 in the School of Earth and Environment Building. The seminar rooms are located next to the reception area on level 8. Members of staff attending the presentations from other faculties can access the building either from Chancellor?s Court (entry is on level 7) or via the main door which will bring you straight into the reception area.

Sessions from 10:45 to 14:00 are open to all Africa College members.

The BBSRC team include the two assessors: Professor Julie Fitzpatrick (Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute and Chief Executive of the Moredun Group, Edinburgh) and Dr Ray Elliott (Senior Scientific Advisor at Syngenta); and two BBSRC staff members: Dr Amanda Read (EWI Programme Manager) and Dr Ian Lyne (Head of Skills and Careers).

from 09:45 Arrival and coffee

10:00 ? 10:45 Welcome and introduction: Presentation and discussion of the University and Africa College?s vision and strategy for culture change to maximise research impact on food security and human health.
Tim Benton(Chair of Africa College and pro-Dean Research, FBS), David Howlett (Executive Director, Africa College), Andy Dougill (Head of School of Earth and Environment), Andrew Thompson (PVC research), Christine Foyer (Africa College professor of sustainable agriculture) and Howard Atkinson (Founder of Africa College)

10:45 ? 11:10 Climate change, food security and human health: How Africa College is bringing together researchers from different disciplines to change cultures and undertake inter-disciplinary research to make impacts on food security and human health.
Format: Ten minute presentation and discussion
This will cover examples of research from climate and crop modelling, adaptation and livelihoods, nutrition, food and transport, and links to the ESRC Centre on Climate Change Economic and Policy, and involvement of Leeds staff in 5th IPCC assessment.
Presenters: Claire Quinn(environment) and Darren Dahly(health and nutrition) and discussion with Andy Dougill (environment), Jeff Turner (transport), Frances Hodgson (transport), David Howlett (agriculture), David Hall-Mathews (political sciences), Keith Hamer(ecology), Caroline Orflia (food science), Janet Cade (nutrition), Christine Foyer(plant science), Tim Benton (ecology), and Jane Francis (Dean, Earth and Environment)

11:10 ? 11:35 Sustainability, ecosystem services and food security: How Africa College is engaging early career researchers to research to help achieve impact on food security and poverty reduction in SSA.
Format: Ten minute presentation and 15 minute discussion
This will cover research on pollination services, ecological sustainability, carbon and climate change, and adaptation.
Lead Presenters: Susie Sallu(lecturer) and Nicky Atkinson(Phd student)/Hugh Roderick|(post doc) and discussion with, Claire Quinn (lecturer), Darren Dahly(lecturer), Luuk Fleskens(lecturer), and Bastiaan Brak (post doc) with Steve Sait (Reader), Andy Dougill (Professor ? Head of School) and Tim Benton (Professor and pro-Dean research)

11:35 ? 11:45 Tea and Coffee

11:45 -12:10 Translating scientific excellence from biosciences into impact: How the Africa College members of the Centre for Plant Sciences are using their knowledge on BBSRC funded basic science to impact on food security.
Format: Ten minute presentation and discussion
This will cover research in include gene tilling; abiotic stress, biotic stress e.g. nematode control, Phosphate uptake; and DNA repair and seed viability.
Lead presenters: Alison Baker, Howard Atkinson, and Christine Foyer and discussion with Brendan Davies, Steve Baldwin, Peter Urwin, Stefan Kepinski, Chris West and Steve Homans

12:10- 12:30 Partnerships, Transformation, Communications and Impact on Policy: How Africa College is building capacity, partnerships, and communication to impact on policy and getting technologies into use.
Format: Ten minute presentation and discussion
This will cover inter-disciplinary working, capacity building, EKT development, our partnerships, and how we are influencing policy and communicating our results to achieve impact, with summary of our impacts, lessons learnt and our future plans
Presenters: David Howlett and discussion with Tim Benton, Christine Foyer, Howard Atkinson, Guy Dixon(press officer), Liz Nganga (ICIPE) Hugh Roderick, and Andy Dougill

12:30 ? 14:00 Evidence of how we have changed: Poster session and interaction with post graduate, postdoc and academic staff from the different Africa College faculties, enterprise and press officers
Format: Informal lunch and discussion with staff and poster presenters ? held in lobby of School of Earth and Environment (level 8)

14:00 - 14:30 Transforming the culture at the University: How Africa College is helping the University of Leeds to change and increase its impact.
Format: brief minute presentation and discussion
Attending: Michael Arthur ( Vice Chancellor); Kathy Brownridge (Director of Research and acting Director Enterprise), and Africa College leadership group: Tim Benton, Andy Dougill, Christine Foyer and David Howlett

14:30 ? 15:00 Closed meeting of the EWI assessors and BBSRC

15:00 Departure

The Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change. For more information please visit:

?Citizenship and the Politics of Belonging in Africa? ** A day-long event launching a new research network, with coffee, lunch and drinks, but with limited space. Those wishing to attend should contact Dr Gabrielle Lynch (g.lynch@leeds.ac.uk) for details and to reserve a place. Event co-sponsored by the Review of African Political Economy, POLIS and LUCAS.

Launch of the Yorkshire African Studies Network (YASN)*
Citizenship and the Politics of Belonging in Africa
Friday 29 October 2010, 10.30am-7pm
Great Woodhouse Room, University House, University of Leeds
Review of African Political Economy, Leeds University Centre for African Studies (LUCAS)
and the School of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)

Programme
10.30: Registration, Coffee and Introduction
11.30-1.00: Who is a National? Contested Conceptions of Citizenship and
Belonging in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Dan Hammett (Sheffield), 'Uniting a Rainbow? Aspirations, Ideals and Everyday
Meaning of South African Citizenship'
June Bam-Hutchinson (York), ?Narrative and Identity: Revisiting Belonging in 'Peeping through the Reeds''
1.00-2.00: Lunch
2.00-3.30: The Politics of Belonging in Western Kenya
Gabrielle Lynch (Leeds), 'Autochthony, Indigeneity and the Politics of Identity on
Mount Elgon'
Wamuyu Wachira (Bradford), 'Youth and Gang Violence in Kenya: Preliminary
Findings from Fieldwork Survey Conducted in Kenya in 2010'
3.30-4.00: Coffee
4.00-5.30: Who is a Local? Notions of Belonging in Colonial Africa
Shane Doyle (Leeds): 'Immigrants, Indigenes and Citizenship in Late Colonial
Buganda'
Vincent Hiribarren (Leeds) 'Being Bornuese and Nigerian: A Double Nationalism?'
5.30-7.00: Drinks
* This day-long event includes coffee, lunch and drinks and has limited place.
Those interested in attending should contact Dr Gabrielle Lynch
(g.lynch@leeds.ac.uk) to reserve a place

Modelling co-benefits of climate change mitigation with an application to Mexico

Conservation, environmentalism and the media

'Contemporary Nationalism in Tanzania'

Jane Plastow is Professor of African Theatre at the University of Leeds and is Director of LUCAS.

Richard Borowski is the LUCAS Schools Project Coordinator. Richard has been arranging workshops in primary and secondary schools in Leeds aimed at educating children on Africa. The workshops are given by African post-graduate from the University of Leeds.

Prof. Keith Smettem, University of Western Australia: Ecohydrological effects of land use change

Scientists and environmental managers are increasingly concerned about the influence of changing land use patterns on hydrological and ecological processes. Prof Smettem will speak about his research in this area, including methodologies for assessment and potential collaboration with researchers at the University of Leeds.

Is it time for radical change for agriculture if we are going to meet MDG1 and face up to
climate change?'

Research, Policy and Impact on Food Security and Health in sub-Saharan Africa: Policy Processes and Use of Evidence

Friday 8 October 2010, 12:30 to 4:45pm

This University of Leeds event will be relevant to any researcher whose research has the potential to impact on policy. It is the first in series organised by Africa College*, a University Transformation project, aimed at strengthening the skills and understanding of researchers to be able to make more of an impact on food security and human health policy. It will provide participants with an increased understanding of policy processes in British government, with a particular focus on food security, nutrition and health, and will share practical examples of how to translate research findings into evidence that informs policy. The guest speaker will be the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, who will share his experiences as Secretary of State in Defra and DFID, including how he used evidence to inform policies on food security and development. Leeds academics will also present case studies of how their research has informed policy. Outline programme:

· Sandwich lunch

· Food security and nutrition policies at the global, regional and national levels (Tim Benton, Biological Sciences)

· Overview of policy processes in British government (David Howlett, Africa College)

· Case studies and discussion on use of research to influence policy and make an impact. Each case study will aim to include a statement of the problem, research that was used to produce evidence, how this was communicated to policy makers and with what success, and lessons learnt
(Lindsay Stringer & Andy Dougill, Earth & Environment; Zafar Ullah, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences; David Hall-Matthews, POLIS)

· Using evidence to inform policies on food security: what works and doesn't work (Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP): presentation, discussion.



To reserve your place at this event please email Paula Billcliffe in SDDU: p.m.billcliffe@adm.leeds.ac.uk - by Monday 20 September 2010 - giving your name, school/institute, job title and email address - and put the date in your diary. We will email all participants after this date to confirm the arrangements.



David Howlett

Africa College

Dr Tony Simons, Director of Research and Innovation, World Agroforestry Centre (formerly ICRAF) will visit Leeds University and give a seminar on the work of the Centre on Agroforestry, Friday 8th Oct 10am to 11am in the Garstang Seminar room. For details of their work see http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org. World Agroforestry Centre is one of the 15 centres of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (the CGIAR).

All are very welcome to this. Tony is a very good and engaging speaker.

Visit of Janet Allen to Africa College, University of Leeds, Thursday 23 September

Programme

Seminar on Research and Impact on Food Security in Africa
Astbury seminar room level 11
09:30 - 10:00 Climate change, sustainability and food security and human health

Combined presentation on the inter-disciplinary research on climate change at Leeds and its partners and how this is addressing food security in SSA. This will cover climate and crop modelling, adaptation and livelihoods, food and transport, and links to the ESRC Centre on Climate Change Economic and Policy, and involvement of Leeds academics in 5th IPCC assessment.

Presenters: Andy Challinor and Claire Quinn
Contributors: Andy Challinor, Andy Dougill, Claire Quinn, Yun Yun Gon, Darren Dahly, Jeff Turner and Frances Hodgson
10:00 - 10:30 Ecosystem services, biodiversity and food security

Combined presentation on ecosystem services and biodiversity and how research is addressing challenge of poverty reduction and food security in SSA. To cover pollination services, carbon and climate change, and adaptation.

Presenters: Tim Benton
Contributors: Tim Benton, Koos Beijmer, Lindsay Stringer, Andy Dougill, Susie Sallu, Steve Sait and Keith Hamer
10:30 -11:00 Biosciences and food security

Combined presentation focusing how Leeds and African partners are undertaking basic research with the aim of translating this to tackle food security in and building research capacity in SSA. To cover: gene tilling for African orphan crops; abiotic stress, nematode control Phosphate uptake from infertile soils; DNA repair and seed viability.

Presenters: Alison Baker and Chris West
Contributors: Howard Atkinson, Brendan Davies, Alison Baker, Steve Baldwin, Christine Foyer and Chris West
11:00 -1115 Tea and Coffee
11:15 - 12:00 Partnerships, Transformation and Impact

Combined presentation on role of partnerships and transformation in achieving impact, and on the early lessons from Africa College. To cover: partnership principles, inter-disciplinary working, capacity building, post doc and early career scientists and their development, and making an impact.

Presenters: David Howlett and Hugh Roderick
Contributors: David Howlett, Tim Benton, Christine Foyer, Hugh Roderick and Nicky Atkinson
12:00 -13:00 RCUK Food Security Programme and BBSRC future research directions
Janet Allen (open to all Leeds staff)

Getting the Harvest to Market: Food Security, Agriculture and Rural Transport in Africa

Date: 213st - 23rd September, 2010)
Duration: 3-day
Location: IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria

Background

African policymakers are increasingly focused on the stimulation of agricultural growth amongst small-scale farmers. It is now widely recognized that broad-based agricultural growth not only raises the incomes of poor households, but has external benefits supporting economy-wide growth and diversification, contributing to improved food security and enhancing human health. A number of challenges must also be overcome in order to ensure that farm-level productivity gains translate into improved food supply and lower, more stable prices in local and national markets. Clearly, one important challenge is to improve the access and connectivity of rural African communities to local, national and cross-border markets. This connectivity includes physical access supported through better transport infrastructure and improved rural transport services. Connectivity should also include the interaction between physical access and small farmers needs for improved agricultural marketing; better market information, enhanced commercial skills and greater consideration of the contribution of processing and storage. Noticeable efforts are being made by African governments and development partners to tackle the challenges of enhancing rural access, with particular emphasis on improving rural transport infrastructure and services. Such efforts would benefit from greater recognition of the synergies between access and agricultural growth, and the need for integrated, multi-sectoral efforts to improve access

In the current situation, there is a particular need to identify successful approaches to improve access and agricultural productivity and draw on the linkages between them. There are also significant efforts being made by African governments, the African Union (AU), NEPAD and their development partners to enhance agricultural development under the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) framework. Pillar 2 of CAADP has a focus on rural infrastructure and marketing. All partners working on CAADP recognise the need and scope for substantially more work on successful approaches to improve access connectivity and agricultural productivity.

This Workshop is a collaboration of the Africa College (University of Leeds and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)) and the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Programme (SSATP) managed by the World Bank. It will promote an interactive dialogue between a range of stakeholders on food security, agriculture and rural transport.
Aims and Objectives

The Africa College and SSATP are holding a 3-day workshop of invited presenters and audience to promote the establishment of an interactive dialogue between a range of stakeholders on food security, agriculture and rural transport. The dialogue will focus around the following themes:

? the interaction between post-harvest agricultural productivity and physical access of rural Africa to markets; and
? the impact of these interactions on the everyday lives of small farmers (particularly women).

The workshop will seek to promote an evidence-led dialogue between the agriculture and transport sectors in Africa and identify a set of concrete actions and partnership opportunities to develop this interaction. These will include:

? Building understanding and consensus on the state of knowledge and available evidence on solutions to reduce loss of harvest through improved rural transport services and infrastructure;
? Developing contributions to increase the evidence and knowledge base for CAADP Pillar 2 activities;
? Identification of opportunities to develop collaborative research projects such as the recent call by the EC for proposals on reducing post-harvest losses for increased food security; and
? Identifying opportunities to influence the development of evidence-based policy and practice to improve the interaction between agriculture and transport.

Audience

The workshop will bring together a diverse invited audience of about 25 attendees and presenters from Africa, Europe and North America and from a range of different disciplinary perspectives including:

? Agriculture and rural economic development
? crop science, food science and processing,
? social science and
? transport

Invitees will also be drawn from a range of institutional settings including:

? the private sector,
? members of the CAADP network (AU, RECs, etc)
? national governments and their development partners
? NGO's and community-based organisations and
? academic and research institutions.

DRAFT PROGRAMME

21st September

12:30 Registration & LUNCH

13:30 Welcome & Introduction

13:45 Overview of challenges of getting small farmers' harvest to market in Africa by Hartmann, IITA

14:15 Review of state-of-art on rural transport & agriculture by George Banjo, Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Programme (SSATP), World Bank

14:45 Challenges facing and directions for food security and agriculture development in Africa by David Nielsen, World Bank or CAADP rep or Ousman Badiane, IFPRI

15:30 TEA

16:00 CAADP - Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program - overview and links to transport and private sector - Baba Dioum or Martin Binylala

16:30 Role of rural access and transport in agriculture growth and poverty reduction - IFPRI

17:45 General Discussion

18:30 END


22nd September

Theme 1 - Agricultural productivity and physical access to markets

8:00 Presentation 2 - detailed research on marketing and role of physical access - Nigeria research network

8:20 Presentation 3 - infrastructure and rural transport development in Ethiopia

8:40 Presentation 4 - community-based solutions to rural transport - ARTA

9:00 Presentation 5 - CAADAP Pillar II - policy frameworks to integrate agricultural development, food security and rural transport should be part of presentation on first day suggest 5th presentation could be: Access to agriculture inputs and rural transport - not sure of presenter

A possible presentation on Post-harvest losses?

9:20 General Discussion

10:00 COFFEE/TEA

10:30 Breakout to 3 Working Groups on theme 1 - identification of knowledge gaps and areas of action

12:00 Working Groups report back

12:30 LUNCH

Theme 2 - The impact of physical access on the everyday lives of small farmers (particularly women).

13:30 Presentation 6 - gender, physical access and agricultural development - Gina Porter

13:50 Presentation 7 - mobility as part of integrated development of rural communities - evidence from Tanzania - Camilla Lema

14:10 Presentation 8 - Impact of access on everyday lives - Zambian marketeers perspective

14:30 Presentation 9 - Co-operative solutions to small farmer marketing - Linda Shaw

Presentation on Food security and hunger - from WFP?

14:50 General Discussion

15:30 TEA

16:00 Breakout to 3 Working groups on theme 2 - identification of knowledge gaps and areas of action

1730 Working groups report back

1800 END of day
23rd September

08:30 Summary and observations on working group outputs - Hartmann?

09:30 Identifying opportunities for action - potentially to include (facilitated session)
:
a. CAADP and pillars 2 (private sector) and 4 (research with sub-regional research organisations and FARA)
b. RECs - regional policies on transport, agriculture and food security
c. SSATP - policies and best practices to get existing knowledge into use
d. New research opportunities on transport, agriculture and food security gaps (potential support new CGIAR mega programmes, EC 7th Research Framework and other funding agencies)
e. More??

10:00 COFFEE

10:30 Action planning and agreement on next steps (facilitated session)

12:30 Summary and closing session

LUNCH

PhD Symposium: The Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP) will be hosting its first PhD symposium on Wednesday 15 September at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The symposium aims to build capacities and communities of early stage researchers in areas related to climate change economics and policy. It will include presentations from students at all stages of the PhD process, and consider key conceptual, methodological and empirical dimensions.

Students are also invited to attend the Centre Conference taking place the following day, on Thursday 16 September.

BBSRC Excellence with impact judging visit: Wednesday 14th July 2010

Programme

09.15 ARRIVAL AND COFFEE

09:30
1: Key current and future activities of Africa College within EwI competition Part 1:

? Welcome and overview (Howard Atkinson)
? Partnerships on campus and in Africa (David Howlett)
? Developing interdisciplinary research (David Howlett)
o workshops
o seminars
? Dissemination (Christine Foyer)
o website developments
o newsletters
o Folder and its inserts
? Enhancing public understanding (Howard Atkinson)
? Discussion

11:00 TEA AND COFFEE

11:15
2: Key current and future activities of Africa College within EwI competition Part 2
To be shared e.g. Howard Atkinson. David Howlett, Tim Benton, Christine Foyer
? Informing Policy (David Howlett)
? Development of human capital (Christine Foyer)
? IP opportunities (Howard Atkinson)
? Quality of Life (Tim Benton)
? Discussion

12:45 LUNCH
? Discussions on selected topics to include:
o Short presentations by briefing note competitors
o Research without boundaries
o Developing international links, lessons from India and China
o Equipment donation

14:00
3: Case studies of research directions evolved by culture change of Africa College
Assuming all available = 6 min + 2min questions each.
? Gene tilling for African orphan crops - Brendan Davies/Peter Urwin, FBS
? Plant Biotechnology and nematode control - Howard Atkinson, FBS
? Phosphate uptake from infertile soils ? Alison Baker
? DNA repair and seed viability - Chris West, FBS
? Plant Abiotic stress- Christine Foyer FBS
? Root architecture and drought Stefan Kepinski FBS
? Climate change and agriculture - Andy Challinor, FE
? Ecosystem Services ? Koos (Jacobus) Biesmeijer, FBS
? Water Harvesting - (Luuk Fleskens, FE )
? Mycotoxins - (Yun Yun Gong, FHM)

15:30 TEA AND COFFEE

15:45 Closing session
Discussion
Wrap up

16:30 Departure

Sadly Janet Allen won't be able to visit Leeds today due to illness and would like to rearrange her visit in August or September. The event will be advertised once we have a confirmed date.

Water and Food Security Workshop
Thursday 10th June - 9:30am to 2pm
Venue: Michael Sadler Building, LG19

Two significant pressures will impact on maintaining a global supply of food and freshwater: a changing climate and a rapidly increasing worldwide population. Water and food security are interlinked - to secure food, an adequate supply of water is needed while ground cover affects the flow pattern of rainwater.

The purpose of the workshop is to bring together academics and research staff at Leeds who have research interests in food and water security in health, natural and social sciences. The workshop has three specific objectives:
1. To share what research is currently being undertaken at Leeds in relation to food and water security globally, but with a specific focus on Africa.
2. To identify potential areas for collaboration on existing and future research.
3. To highlight potential funding sources for new research projects and programmes (e.g. RCUK food security programme).

The programme is built around two sessions where we will have short (5 minute) presentations from staff from across the University answering two questions:
- What research are you (dept/group/team) undertaking related to food and water security?
- What are the opportunities for research in this area?

The aim is for these to spark discussion and help identify areas for future collaboration. Rapporteurs will capture the main points and we will produce a short report of the workshop. We have also built in a session over lunch for people to continue discussions and develop ideas, and will provide lunch as an extra incentive for people to stay on for this.

The workshop is open to all academic and research staff at Leeds. However we do ask colleagues to please register in advance of the day.

We look forward to seeing you on 10th June.

David Howlett, d.j.b.howlett@leeds.ac.uk
Rebecca Slack, r.slack@leeds.ac.uk

Terrestrial Carbon Group Seminar at Leeds University
"Terrestrial Carbon and Climate Change: where, why and how agriculture, forests and other land use can play their part?
By Ralph Ashton and Anna Creed, Terrestrial Carbon Group
12 noon to 1pm, 8 June 2010

Abstract
Despite the recent furore in a controversy-hungry media about e-mail communications between some climate scientists and the veracity of some Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) findings, the science of climate change is quite straightforward: human-induced climate change is caused by the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases have only two other places to go: the oceans and the terrestrial system (including land and vegetation).
With our atmosphere overloaded, we have two complementary mitigation options: we can reduce ongoing emissions into our atmosphere (especially from burning fossil fuel and forests), and we can suck greenhouse gases from the atmosphere back into our terrestrial system and oceans.
It is not the science or arithmetic that is a barrier to action on climate change; it is the politics. The main vehicle for that political agreement has been the United Nations. The UN meetings in December 2009 in Copenhagen were a great step forward, but did not ?seal the deal? on a global agreement as hoped. The Copenhagen negotiations can be viewed as a partial success for terrestrial carbon, with REDD+ part of the Copenhagen Accord and progress made on agriculture.
This seminar will:
-Explain briefly the science and the arithmetic of climate change, with a focus on terrestrial carbon, and outline the status of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and other activities) and agriculture in international climate change policy
-Present highlights of the Terrestrial Carbon Group?s research on technical and policy issues, including a recently released multi-stakeholder Science Roadmap for Terrestrial Carbon
-Outline briefly efforts to convene governments and the range of other required players from across the value chain to design and have implemented large-scale, economically-viable demonstrations on REDD+ with consideration of other terrestrial carbon
-Explain in detail the Terrestrial Carbon Group?s global terrestrial carbon risk mapping research, and its findings and policy implications
-Introduce the Terrestrial Carbon Group?s ongoing work with the Planetary Skin Institute on global agricultural productivity potential
-Outline of the Terrestrial Carbon Group?s planned work on moving from a partial treatment of terrestrial carbon (ie, REDD+ and agriculture) to a comprehensive if multifaceted approach (technical and policy)
Discussion will follow

Seminar from Dr Colin Chartres
Director General of the International Water
Management Institute (IMWI), Colombo, Sri Lanka
Thursday 3 June 2010, 13:00-14:00
Baines Wing - Miall Lecture Theatre (2.34)

All welcome to attend.

As Director General of IWMI, which is one of the 15 research centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, Dr Chartres leads a team of international scientists working on future water availability, agricultural water productivity improvement, reuse of wastewater in agriculture, ecosystem services, and water governance and management including gender issues. He has 30 years experience in research and policy reform in natural resources management in Australia and developing countries. Prior to joining IWMI in 2007, he was Chief Science Advisor to Australia?s National Water Commission.

Dr Chartres will be available to meet with individuals/groups after the seminar (14:00-15:30). If you would like to meet Dr Chartres please contact Rebecca Slack (r.slack@leeds.ac.uk; ext. 33373)

There will be a workshop to discuss cross-disciplinary research in food and water security on 10 June 2010 , 10am to 1pm. A networking lunch and refreshments will be provided from 1pm - for catering purposes, please register your interest in the workshop with Rebecca Slack (r.slack@leeds.ac.uk; ext 33373)

Applying Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches:
Food Security & Social Protection

Seminar convened by University of Bradford, as part of the ESRC Sustainable Livelihoods Seminar Series

2nd June 2010, 10.00-17.00
Heaton Mount, University of Bradford, UK


As part of an international series, the Department of Development & Economic Studies and the John & Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies (University of Bradford) are hosting a seminar bringing together academics, practitioners and policy-makers to explore the links between the application of a Sustainable Livelihoods Approach to issues of Food Security and Social Protection
This seminar series has been initiated to explore the lessons learnt from a decade of theoretical development and practical application of Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches (SLAs). Although there is no single definition of a sustainable livelihood approach, 'SLA' it is now generally considered to be both a set of principles for good development practice (people-centred, multi-level, conducted in partnership, sustainable and holistic); and an analytical framework to better understand how people draw on a range of different assets in their livelihoods strategies and how such assets can be created or strengthened through appropriate insititutional and policy support. Clearly, food security, is a fundamental issue in building productive and sustainable livelihoods, and SLAs may have analytical and practical value in addressing where and how social protection may be directed in order to build the necessary assets to increase food security.
Of particular interest to this seminar is how social protection mechanisms can increase the sustainability and productivity of smallholder agriculture, which continues to support 70% of the global population. Support to livelihoods to increase food security may take many forms including: cash transfers, insurance schemes, proactive and appropriate government support to agricultural infrastructure, food transfers and storage, access to credit, fiscal policy mechanisms, improving management of natural resources, reducing economic and social inequalities, food pricing, agricultural subsidies.



This seminar is organised around three themes each of which will involve invited speakers and discussion:

1. Livelihood protection (maintaining minimum subsistence)
How can social protection measures support minimum subsistence for the chronically poor? Discussion will cover cash transfers, food for work schemes, insurance schemes, inputs support and targeting.

Speakers:
Sydney Nkhoma- (PhD Student- University of Bradford)
Others- not yet confirmed

2. Livelihood diversification (reducing farmers' vulnerability)
How might the productivity and resilience of subsistence agriculture be increased? Should farmers be diversifying out of agriculture? Discussion will include: adapting to climate change, low- input and organic agriculture, access to land and credit, subsidies, and food pricing.

Speakers: David Howlett (Africa College- University of Leeds)


3. Livelihood promotion (raising returns and building assets)
How can agricultural livelihoods offer a route out of poverty and build national and regional food security. Discussion will include: relationship between agricultural policy and social protection, roles of different stakeholders, exits from social protection.

Speakers: Samuel Asante-Mensah - ADRA-Ghana Country Director, and MiDA Ghana Food Security Project Manager

Posters are also invited from practitioners, policy-makers and academics, particularly postgraduate research students which address these questions. Bursaries for UK travel are available for poster presenters.
To find out more and to participate in the seminar online discussions join the Livelihoods Seminar Group at http://community.eldis.org/sla .
To register to attend and / or present a poster, please email JEFCAS@bradford.ac.uk stating your name, job title and organisation, and where relevant your poster title.

25th Mar 2010

Stefano Padulosi,
Senior scientist on complementary conservation and use strategies,
Biodiversity International, Rome
'Mainstreaming biodiversity into contemporary diets- trends, issues and challenges'

Thursday 25 March 2010 1-2 PM
Workshop to follow at 3-5pm for those wanting to explore issues and opportunities in more depth.

Astbury level 11
University of Leeds campus

Agricultural biodiversity is the foundation of sustainable diets. Currents trends in both industrialized and developing countries are reducing the diversity of crops selected and deployed by farmers over millennia. The narrowing down of the world's food basket is affecting the nutritional and health benefits associated to diverse crop-based diets. The focus on few staple crops initiated in the 1960s during the Green revolution is today further intensified by globalized commodity-driven market forces. Global availability of cheap vegetable oils and fats has resulted in greatly increased fat consumption among low-income nations. As the nutrition transition is spreading to developing countries, the so called 'double burden' of malnutrition is also recorded in many rural and urban areas. These changes take place at a moment in time in which the worse ever food insecurity in the world is also registered and hence calls for a renewed major international effort to fight hunger have never been more justified.

Efforts to fight hunger should be strongly linked with crop diversification strategies aiming at tackling the multiple objectives of enhancing food and nutrition security, health and peoples' livelihood.
The mainstreaming of biodiversity into contemporary diets requires therefore a highly multi-disciplinary and inter-sector approach.

Experiences from projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America targeting so called neglected and underutilized species, confirm the benefits arising from such a holistic approach that spans across the whole food crop value chain, from the selection of improved varieties, enhanced seed systems, better cultivation practices, processing and value addition technology to improved traditional culinary practices, better marketing, demand promotion, education and public awareness. Women-sensitive approaches are key to the success of these interventions, as women are the main drive behind conservation and utilization of crop diversity. The ultimate result of these efforts is the conservation-through-use of local agrobiodiversity.

The creation of an enabling policy environment to support such a process is critical to upscale interventions from isolated pilot sites and promote benefits of crop diversity, within and possibly also beyond national boundaries.

Tuesday 9 March

Seminar to be given by

Dr David Howlett , Senior Visiting Research Fellow (on secondment from Department of International Development DFID)

'Climate change and Agriculture: What happened in Copenhagen and what does this mean for the future of farming and food security?'

1-2pm in Astbury, Level 11

Ecology & Evolution Seminar guest speaker Peter Kwapong, University of Cape Coast, Ghana will give a talk on: Management of Stingless bees for food and health.

Paula Bramel, Deputy DG, Research for Development, IITA will be visiting the University of Leeds on March 8-9th 2010.

Date: Monday 8th of March
Time: 1- 4 pm
Location: Room G01a41, Department of Transport Studies, University Road, University of Leeds

The workshop will focus on:

Opportunities for innovation and knowledge transfer in the agriculture value chain through food processing, packaging and transport innovation

The impact of these innovations on the everyday lives of small farmers? (particularly women)

This workshop will bring together multi-disciplinary perspectives to build innovation in post-harvest efficiencies with impact on the livelihoods of local communities. The workshop will draw on crop science, food science and processing, nutrition, social science, transport and packaging.

The aim of the workshop will be to identify potential research project(s) in this area through a series of presentations that map the research knowledge and identify research problems as well as opportunities for funding. 

Programme
1:00 Welcome and Introduction
1:20 Frances Hodgson (Inst. For Transport Studies), Everyday lives, community enterprise and access to markets: mapping the knowledge
1:40 Jeff Turner (Inst. For Transport Studies), Value chains, rural access and policy initiatives
2:05 Mel Holmes (Food Science and Nutrition), Risk assessment; Produce transport and contaminants from packaging . Mathematical modelling of packaged foods using Comsol.
2:30 Coffee
2:50 David Howlett (Africa College & DFID) Three challenges and food/transport issues
3:05 Bob Crawford (Unilever) Experiences in packaging in Africa
3:25 Discussion: partnerships and funding opportunities

Howard Atkinson (Africa College): BBSRC Food Security Call

Caroline Orfila (Food Science and Nutrition): BBSRC Advanced Training Partnerships (ATPs)- up to £5M funding available to develop postgraduate training for the Agri-Food Sector (deadline for outline applications 11th of May)

4:00 End

Invitations to attend the workshop are extended to all with an interest in this area.

If you would like to attend the workshop please contact E.Liversedge@leeds.ac.uk

Prof John Pickett, Rothamsted Research

Africa College workshop, sponsored by BBSRC

Sustainable Peri-urban vegetable production for nutritional food security in Sub-Saharan Africa:

09:00 to 17:00h 11-14th January 2010; Astbury level 11 and CPS Seminar Room, 6.90 Manton

You are invited to attend the above workshop. It is one of a series of events Africa College is holding in the first half of 2010 to prepare for a large RCUK call on Food security.

Amanda Read (BBSRC) will attend on 13th and 14th January.

Tim Benton is organising a parallel discussion involving two of the senior Chinese visitors (Prof Renjie DONG, Prof. Jing-Quan YU) to discuss other aspects of sustainable agriculture during the nematode-specific sessions on Wednesday.

Day 1: Monday 11th January 2010
Astbury, Level 11
Scene setting
Discussion leader
9:00 Expertise and interests of invitees
11:30 Coffee
12:00 Africa College and its expertise
13:00 Lunch
13:30 Peri-urban agricultural policies in China Renjie DONG
14:10 Produce safety and sustainability: lessons from China Jing-Quan YU
14:50 Nematode problems of peri-urban agriculture in China Deliang PENG
15:30 Tea
16:00 Discussion and capture of major issues
17:00 Close



Day 2: Tuesday 12th January 2010
CPS Seminar Room, 6.90 Manton
am: Molecular Diagnosis of vegetable pests and diseases
09:00 Root-knot nematodes Valerie Williamson
10:00 Nematode faunal analysis and soil health Howard Atkinson
10:30 Coffee
11:00 Fungal pathogens Mathew Abang
12:00 the status of Urban and Peri-urban horticulture in Tanzania Agnes Nyomora
13:00 Lunch
pm: Human health risks from peri-urban produced vegetables
14:00 Mycotoxin contamination of crops Yun Yun Gong
15:00 Rapid detection of human pathogens associated with peri-urban vegetable production Rupert Quinnell
15:30 Tea
16:00 Summary of researchable ideas identified in the day: next steps
17:00 Close



Day 3: Wednesday 13th January 2010
Astbury, Level 11
am: Future control options for root-knot nematode: pm, plant stress
09:00 Current approaches to pest management of Root-knot nematodes in West Africa Danny Coyne
10:00 Pest management of nematodes in Chinese peri-urban Agriculture Peilang Dong
10:30 Coffee
11:00 Biofumigation and Pest control James Lord
11:45 Microbial antagonists of nematodes Danny Coyne
12:30 Transgenic resistance: a long term solution? Howard Atkinson/Peter Urwin
13:00 Lunch
pm: Plant stress and vegetable nutritional quality
13:30 Plant stress Christine Foyer
14:30 Interactions between biotic and abiotic stress Peter Urwin
15:00 Food nutritional consequences of plant stress Caroline Orfila
15:30 Tea
16:00 Summary of researchable ideas identified in the day: next steps
17:00 Close



Day 4: Thursday 14th January 2010
Astbury, Level 11
Sustainable agriculture for the resource poor
9:00 AVRDC priorities for improved pest control Mathew Abang
9:45 Needs to strengthen horticulture in Tanzania Agnes Nyomora
10:30 Coffee
11:00 Technology Transfer for healthy vegetables in Africa Brigitte Nyambo
11:45 The potential of agricultural technology and biotechnological tools to enhance vegetables and other crops of small farmers in SSA Jacob Hodeba Mignouna
12:30 Mechanisms for influencing policy development as identified from public health issues James Newell
13:00 Lunch
13:30 Discussion of key points from the 4 day meeting
14:30 Priorities for research: assembly of partnerships
15:30 Tea
16:00 Next steps and timescales; developing proposals; addressing possible sponsors
15:00 Close

UK-based discussion leaders
Prof Howard ATKINSON Co-ordinator and lead Africa College; Centre for Plant Sciences University of Leeds
Prof Christine FOYER Africa College; Centre for Plant Sciences University of Leeds
Dr Yun Yun GONG Africa College; Leeds University, Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics
James LORD Africa College; Centre for Plant Sciences University of Leeds
Prof James NEWELL Africa College; The Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development; Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds
Dr Caroline ORFILA The School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds
Dr Rupert QUINNELL Africa College; Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds
Dr Peter URWIN Africa College; Centre for Plant Sciences University of Leeds

External discussion leaders
Dr Mathew ABANG The World Vegetable Center, (AVRDC), http://www.avrdc.org/contact.html
Dr Danny COYNE International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Uganda and Tanzania; http://www.iita.org/
Prof Renjie DONG Office of International Relations, China Agricultural University, Beijing; http://www.cau.edu.cn/cie/en/index.php
Dr Jacob Hodeba MIGNOUNA The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF); http://www.aatf-africa.org/index.php
Dr Brigitte NYAMBO ICIPE, African Insect Science for Food and Health; http://www.icipe.org/
Dr Agnes NYOMORA Department of Botany, University Of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania; http://science.udsm.ac.tz/botany/
Prof Deliang PENG Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing; http://www.sklbpi.labs.gov.cn/teams_and_scientists.htm
Dr (Prof) Valerie WILLIAMSON Department of Nematology, UC Davis, USA; http://ucdnema.ucdavis.edu/imagemap/nemmap/VMW.htm
Prof. Jing-Quan YU School of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, China; http://www.cab.zju.edu.cn/IVS/faculty/jqyu1.htm

Presenter: Evan Fraser Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Development in the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of Leeds

Abstract The cow: the most industrious animal in the world. A beast central to human existence since time began, it has played a vital role in our history not only as a source of food, but also as a means of labor, an economic resource, an inspiration for art, and even as a religious icon. Prehistoric people painted it on cave walls; explorers, merchants, and landowners traded it as currency; many cultures worshipped it as a god. So how did it come to occupy the sorry state it does today?more factory product than animal? In Beef, Andrew Rimas and Evan D. G. Fraser answer that question, telling the story of cattle in its entirety. From the powerful auroch, a now extinct beast once revered as a mystical totem, to the dairy cows of seventeenth-century Holland to the frozen meat patties and growth hormones of today, the authors deliver an engaging panoramic view of the cow's long and colorful history.

The speaker Evan Fraser has a B.A. in Anthropology, an M.Sc. in Forestry, and a Ph.D. in environmental studies (thesis on sustainable agriculture). His research focuses on the social and environmental impact of global change on regional food systems.

Africa College Workshop: African Climate, Ecosystems and Society
1 December 2009, 1400 ? 1730 : Astbury Level 11 Conference Room

Workshop to explore areas where we can build research activity related to Climate, Ecosystems and Society in Africa.
The workshop is open to any members of Africa College who would be interested in developing collaborations involving weather, climate and their impacts in the African context
Objectives:
1. To bring together those people working on the physical aspects of weather and climate with those studying ecosystems and their socio-economic interactions in Africa;
2. To propose new research activities in these areas, and to prepare strategically for future funding opportunities.
Topics:
Coordinators of each are highlighted.
Weather and climate - new results and research priorities for Africa Doug Parker, Peter Knippertz, John Marsham
Dynamics of forest and vegetation: observations and modelling Simon Lewis, Tim Baker, Stephen Sitch
Combining crop and climate science Andy Challinor
Socio-economic dimensions to climate and ecosystems Susannah Sallu, Andy Dougill, Emma Tompkins, Lindsay Stringer, Dominick Spracklen
Climatic controls on African ecosystems Jacobus Biesmeijer, Steven Sait, Keith Hamer*
Climate and water in Africa Nigel Wright
Climatic controls on health in Africa (Malaria, meningitis ...?) ???

Format: For each topic, please supply a set of bullet-points and notes to Doug Parker d.parker@leeds.ac.uk and Susannah Sallu s.sallu@leeds.ac.uk regarding the critical points of the meeting, by 27 November 2009. For climate scientists, these should be areas where there is, or could be, an 'impacts' problem to study. For the others, these items should convey areas where there is a potential weather and climate dimension to your area of work.
Each topic will be supported by a 15-minute presentation, leaving plenty of time for discussion.
Attendance: Interested people who are in a position to prepare grant applications or supervise new student projects. Please contact Doug Parker and Susannah Sallu if you wish to attend, and inform the coordinators in your area.
* contributor but unable to attend
Doug Parker, Susannah Sallu, Andy Challinor

Professor Julian K-C Ma
Hotung Chair of Molecular Immunology
St George's, University of London

'Production of Recombinant Medicines in Plants - Addressing Global Access to Health'

Host: Howard Atkinson
The seminar will be followed by a workshop, for all who wish to know more or widen the discussion (in Garstang Meeting Room, 7.51, 2-3pm).
Plants have enormous potential to produce inexpensive, recombinant pharmaceutical proteins. They represent a novel means of providing vaccines and medicaments in developing countries. Prof. Ma will review his scientific progress in this important and challenging research field.
Further details of Professor Ma's research can be found at:

http://www.sgul.ac.uk/about-st-georges/divisions/faculty-of-medicine-and-biomedical-sciences/cellular-molecular-medicine/staff-1/prof.-julian-k-c.-ma

Prof John Witcombe, University of Wales, Bangor

The seminar will be followed by a workshop, for all who wish to know more or widen the discussion (in Miall Museum, 2-4pm). The intention is that academic staff will withdraw at some point to allow PDs, PGs and UGs an opportunity to ask questions, develop their thoughts and raise issues like building a career with a developing world focus drawing on John's many years of research experience in South Asia.

John Witcombe has achieved considerable improvement to the rice and other cereal yields of small famers in Nepal and Northern India by a participatory plant breeding approach. Rather than a centralised breeding programme, he and co-workers involve farmers in the selection of lines that suit their environment. Even the poorest farmers have the chance to benefit by varietal improvement.

He will present a case that this pro-poor approach should be more widely adopted.

ALL WELCOME

This international meeting is designed to bring together approximately 75 motivated/innovative Africa scientists with another 75 leading researchers and their teams from other countries working on basic science and areas related to the improvement of ....