FAO and partners train agronomists on cereal production evaluation methods
31 October 2018, Addis Ababa - The first-ever training workshop on Cereal Production Evaluation Methods developed by FAO and WFP, hailed a success after training 20 agronomists drawn from government offices and universities.
Organized by the Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (FAO-GIEWS) and the University of Naples (Italy) from 15 to 19 October 2018, the training focused on building a pool of agronomists to be involved in conducting future FAO/WFP CFSAMs in countries which are facing imminent problems in terms of crop production and food security.
In her welcoming speech, Ms. Fatouma Seid, FAO Representative to Ethiopia, said: “The training aims at preparing a group of skilled agronomists that, in the future, could be called upon as FAO consultants to conduct Crop and Food Security Assessment Missions (CFSAMs) in different countries across the globe. This prospect is quite fascinating and challenging.”
According to training organizers, a CFSAM is a rapid assessment in which the evaluation team critically examines available data and analyses, cross-checking information from a wide range of data sources, including its own observations and findings in a concise and rigorous way.
Training organizers asserted that CFSAMs are requested by countries when there are signs of an imminent food security crisis and a rapid assessment is needed to take early action and prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“About 15 CFSAMs were conducted in Ethiopia in the last 25 years. Results of these missions have always been considered as a reliable source of information about the country’s agricultural production,” Ms. Seid added.
The training focused on the main theoretical and practical aspects of Cereal Production Evaluation Methods. “It is believed that the training course has largely benefited the group of trainees and I am optimistic they will help guarantee the accuracy and timeliness of future assessments, contributing to saving lives and conserving scarce resources,” said Mr. Mario Zappacosta, FAO Senior Economist and GIEWS Team Leader.
The training was attended by experienced agronomists from Armenia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Italy, Malawi, Namibia, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Spain, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda.
The training event was dedicated to Dr. William Ian Robinson, an agricultural and development specialist who passed away during 2017 and contributed enormously to the development and adoption of the assessment methods and tools that have been presented during the training.
Contact
Yonas Tafesse, EU-SHARE Program – PPR Project Extension Communication Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Email: [email protected]