Earlier this year, FAS Pretoria recruited six research professionals two from Botswana, one from Mozambique, and three from Zambia to participate in a two-month Scientific Exchange Fellowship Program at Mississippi State University and Louisiana State University. The fellowships are focused on addressing climate change, as well as establishing and harmonizing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulatory regimes across the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of the African Union.
The six Southern Africa fellows are part of a cohort of 40 from different countries who had the opportunity to meet with U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the World Food Prize in Iowa last month. The fellows were also recognized during the World Food Prize Laureate Award ceremony earlier this week. The event recognizes the achievements of individuals who have contributed to improving the quality, quantity, and availability of food in the world.
The Scientific Exchange Program promotes trade, trade policy, trade capacity building, and food security. The program aims to educate a new generation of agricultural scientists, increase scientific knowledge and collaborative research, and extend knowledge to users and intermediaries in the international agricultural marketplace. Read more about the program here: https://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/scientific-exchanges-program
