2017 FSC Summer School Announcement

Food and Nutrition Security for the next 25 – 50 years

University of Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin

6 to 25 November 2017

Context: 

Climate change is significantly impacting agriculture by increasing water demand, limiting crop productivity and by reducing water availability in areas where irrigation is most needed. Recently, in these areas, the rising food prices and long term trends of growing consumption and market demand for food, biofuels, raw materials, forest and carbon sequestration, etc. drive speculation on long-term price rises for land and agricultural products, and then constitute the drivers of global trade of land grabbing from international investors. In these areas, generally characterized by low purchasing power of populations, food insecurity and malnutrition are increasing. How will these phenomena continuously affect the food and nutrition security in Africa, Asia and Latin America in the next 25 – 50 years? The course will provide some diagnoses and some prospects.

Organizers: This Summer School is jointly organized by the University of Abomey-Calavi (Republic of Benin), the Food Security Center of the University of Hohenheim (Germany), EXCEED (“Higher Education Excellence in Development Cooperation”) and funded through the DAAD with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Venue and dates: The course will be held at the University of Abomey-Calavi (Republic of Benin), from 6 to 25 November 2017.

Participants: The course is open to 20 PhD students from Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Modules: Three modules will be organised:

• Module 1 (November, 6 – 11, 2017): Climate change and water security: climate change, water security, and food production and security; trends in agricultural water demands; economic competition for agricultural water management; prospects for adaptation to irrigation systems and changing river basin levels; policy development implications.
• Module 2 (November, 13 – 18, 2017): Global trade and land grabbling: Food penury, increase of food prices, fuel shock, and nutrition status; land rights and land governance for agricultural economics performance; the role of water and destinations of production from large-scale land acquisitions; the yield gap in target countries; prospects and tools for eradication.
• Module 3 (November, 20 – 25, 2017): Food & Nutrition security: Assessment of nutrition status and disease-related malnutrition; chronic, transitory and cyclical, acute and temporary food insecurity; nutrition gaps, Global Hunger Index, Hidden Hunger Index, dietary diversity index, Omega-3; prospects and tools for eradication.

Scholarships: The Food Security Center of the University of Hohenheim (Germany) will offer up to 20 scholarships for applicants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to participate in this course. Scholarships will include the air ticket, accommodation, meals, and transportation in Benin. Other costs are at the Student’s expense.

Language: The course will be delivered in English. Participants are expected to be fluent in English.

Applications: Motivated PhD students from Africa, Asia and Latin America are requested to send their applications in English including a CV, a letter of motivation, and a certificate of enrollment at their University to: Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo. & Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo..

Deadline for the applications: The deadline for applications is 30 June 2017. Successful applicants will be notified via email by 8 July 2017. Prospected participants will have to confirm his/her participation to the course together with his/her scanned passport via the above address by 15 July 2017.