Opening doors for collaboration

Director General Marco Wopereis recently returned from his first official trip to Europe and Africa, where he met staff, current and potential partners, and donors. In Wageningen, Netherlands on 6 June, he was briefed on knowledge management practices by the directors of Co-Capacity, a consultancy firm. On 7 June, he traveled to Montpellier, France, where he had discussions on collaboration between the Center and CIRAD (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement) and attended the CIRAD Scientific Council Meeting from 8-10 June. CIRAD has strengths in field agronomy and modeling, vegetable breeding, food safety and market linkages in Africa.

In Mali from 14-17 June, Marco met with the World Vegetable Center’s West and Central Africa team at the office in Bamako. Mali seeks support to develop its horticultural sector, particularly the vegetable seed sector. There are opportunities to produce vegetables in the off-season, and for processing to reduce postharvest losses. Marco met Daniel Siméon Kelema, Secretary General of Mali’s Ministry of Agriculture; spoke with representatives from the United Stated Agency for International Development, which is funding several projects in the region; and made courtesy calls to partner organizations including the World Agroforestry Center, Institut d’Economie Rurale, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, International Livestock Research Institute, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and the Faso Kaba seed company.