CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 07/10/14

UGA innovation lab participates in Clinton Foundation's launch of Haiti peanut depot

By Christy Fricks

Tierra Muscady, Haiti – Peanut research and supply channels in Haiti were boosted recently through an initiative partnership developed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and philanthropist Frank Giustra, who spent June 29 touring peanut research projects in Haiti with representatives from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Peanuts are an important source of food in countries like Haiti, where demand for the legume continues to grow. UGA is leading peanut research and training efforts in the country through its Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut and Mycotoxin.

The lab’s work is contributing directly to the new Acceso Peanut Enterprise Corp. that was launched by the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation. The supply chain enterprise is designed to improve the livelihoods of more than 12,000 smallholder peanut farmers.

The goal of the project, Clinton said, is to “empower farmers to meet the nutritional needs of people.”

The rural Acceso depot in Tierra Muscady is one of 35 planned throughout Haiti’s central plateau and northern regions. It functions as a site for training; point of sales for seed and other inputs; storage; and distribution for the community’s peanut farmers.

During the visit, Clinton participated in the depot launch, toured a peanut farm and storage facility and sat in on a training session for farmers.

UGA staff on hand for the tour were Dave Hoisington, the lab’s director; Jamie Rhoads, incoming assistant director; and Christy Fricks, communications specialist. Known as PMIL, the innovation lab is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and is part of the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative called Feed the Future.

The Acceso project supports some of the main goals of PMIL and Feed the Future: scaling up local agriculture, increasing food safety and improving nutrition.

“We are working to improve the production, quality and marketability of peanuts as a crop,” said Hoisington, who is also a senior research scientist in the UGA crop and soil sciences department. “We do this by developing high-yielding varieties of mold resistant peanuts and then training smallholder farmers on best practices for producing and marketing healthy crops.”

The new Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership is using technical advice and training in peanut production provided by PMIL scientists, particularly Tim Brenneman and Bob Kemerait of the UGA plant pathology department.

Scientists with the partnership also evaluated improved peanut varieties, many of which were bred by UGA crop scientists and made available for farmers to grow and sell in markets through the Acceso depots.

PMIL is continuing to test peanut varieties for performance in Haiti and working to solve existing production problems and providing further training so that farmers can supply the needed peanuts to the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership.

The Acceso depots—there are currently five—will supply peanuts primarily to regional buyers that include Meds & Food for Kids and Partners in Health, which are both manufacturers of peanut-based nutrition supplements for children. Among those participating in the launch were Bryan Sobel and Dorvil Weldenson of Meds & Food for Kids, an in-country partner of PMIL.

“The farmers in Haiti are willing and able to work, and this enterprise will enable them to become competitive players in a potentially thriving market,” said Mark Gunton, CEO of the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership, in a release. “A market-driven approach to poverty alleviation such as this empowers these farmers to earn a reliable source of income and provide for their families.”

For more information on the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut and Mycotoxin, see http://pmil.caes.uga.edu/.

With a focus on smallholder farmers, particularly women, Feed the Future supports partner countries in developing their agriculture sectors to spur economic growth and trade that increase incomes and reduce hunger, poverty and undernutrition. For more information, see www.feedthefuture.gov.

Christy Fricks is the communications specialist for USAID Feed the Future Peanut and Mytotoxin Innovation Lab.

Authors:
Christy Fricks
Experts/Sources:
Dave Hoisington
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton gathers with a group of townspeople from Tierra Muscady, Haiti, where he and philanthropist Frank Giustra launched the new Acceso Peanut Enterprise Corp., which is designed to improve the livelihoods of more than 12,000 smallholder peanut farmers. Haitian workers cultivate a plot of TifGuard peanuts on the Meds & Food for Kids experimental research plot just outside of Cap Haitien, Haiti. Dave Hoisington, right, director of the UGA-led Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut and Mycotoxin, and Jamie Rhoads, incoming assistant director, check out peanuts in a field in Tierra Muscady, Haiti.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
HurricaneHeleneGreenhouseDamageCropped CAES News
UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera
Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.
At the 2024 Georgia Life Sciences Summit held Oct. 21-22 in Atlanta, Professor Quingguo “Jack” Huang of the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences received the Golden Helix Innovation Award for his research in technologies to mitigate “forever chemicals” in water resources. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker) CAES News
Nothing lasts forever: CAES professor finds solutions to break down ‘forever chemicals’ 12/05/24 Carson McAfee
University of Georgia Professor Qingguo “Jack” Huang always wanted to do one thing: solve problems. Growing up in a small city in central China, Huang’s favorite subject in elementary school was math, granting him the opportunity to work on many problems. In high school, his passion transitioned to science, where he learned he could feed those same interests in a way that benefited others. He was finishing high school in the 1980s when Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring made its way to Chinese newspapers, capturing Huang’s attention.
Georgia Simmons at the office of U.S. Sen. Warnock CAES News
Georgia 4-H alum, CAES student spends semester serving at the nation's Capitol 12/03/24 Josie Smith, Cooper Hardy
Third-year University of Georgia student and Banks County 4-H alum Georgia Simmons has been in the center of the political action this fall with the Georgia 4-H Washington DC Intern Program. Simmons, an environmental resource science major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, works in the office of U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. As an intern on his staff, she interacts directly with policy experts and lawmakers, participating in the legislative process while earning a semester of credit hours.
Longtime faculty member George Vellidis was named the first permanent director of the Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture. IIPA was launched in 2022 and has grown to include more than 70 faculty members. (Photo by Paul Privette for UGA CAES) CAES News
Vellidis named director of Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture 12/02/24 David Mitchell
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Professor George Vellidis has been named director of the Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture (IIPA). His term began on Nov. 1, and he will serve as the unit’s first permanent director. “Dr. Vellidis has been a vital member of our UGA faculty for years and played a key role in launching IIPA,” said Chris King, interim vice president for research. “Whether it’s his impact as a first-class researcher and educator or the work he does behind the scenes to elevate our reputation in the field abroad, his presence has made UGA a hub for precision agriculture research.”
In Georgia alone, there are nearly 400,000 individuals employed in some segment of hospitality. With the unique mix of leisure travel in coastal Georgia and convention travel in Atlanta, HFIM students have a wealth of opportunities to choose the area that suits them best. CAES News
UGA redefines Southern hospitality through a thriving degree program 11/27/24 Claire S. Kinnard
There are nearly 400,000 individuals employed in some segment of hospitality in Georgia. With the unique mix of leisure travel in coastal Georgia and convention travel in Atlanta, University of Georgia hospitality and food industry management students have a wealth of opportunities to choose the area that suits them best. This versatile experience — with its focus on quality curriculum, meaningful interaction with local and national business, and experiential learning — has already begun graduating the next generation of hospitality leaders.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.