On Monday a delegation from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa (IGAD) led by the Executive Secretary His Excellency Dr. Mahboub Maalim, visited SLU.
The purpose of the visit was to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IGAD and SLU and to discuss possible areas of research collaboration. The IGAD works to assist and complement the efforts of their member states (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda) to achieve, through increased cooperation, food security and environmental protection, promotion and maintenance of peace and security and humanitarian affairs, and, economic cooperation and integration.
During their stay the IGAD delegation met with Deputy Vice-Chancellor Karin Holmgren and Pro Vice-Chancellor for External collaboration, Erik Fahlbeck and some SLU researchers. Perhaps to the surprise of H E, Dr. Maalim, our Deputy Vice-Chancellor conversed with him in fluent Swahili, while signing the MoU.
A presentation of IGAD's mission were held by H.E. Dr. Maalim, for the SLU researchers and staff from SLU Global. While discussing possible areas of collaboration His Excellency commented on topics as land tenure and pasturalism: - It is of great importance to scale up these research findings. There is a knowledge and a policy gap that has to be filled. The environment is totally different today from when I was herding goats as a little boy in Northern Kenya, said His Excellency.
The SLU researchers who presented their research during the meeting were:
Land livestock and livelihoods
Dr. Gert Nyberg
Reduction of post-harvest losses and value addition in East African food value chains
Prof. Girma Gebresenbet
Food value chains in East Africa
Prof. Konstantinos Karantininis
The meeting was hosted by SLU Global and coordinated by Prof. Konstantinos Karantininis, Deputy Theme leader for theme Efficiency in farming systems at SLU Global.
Link to IGAD's website.