Crops for the future in small developing island states

The World Congress on Root and Tuber Crops (WCRTC), was held in Nanning, China, on 18-22 January 2016. Over 450 scientists from around the world attended the Congress. CTA facilitated the participation of four Caribbean and Pacific experts; Jacklyn Broomes (University of West Indies, UWI, Barbados), Dr Gregory Robin (the Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute, CARDI, St. Vincent the Grenadines), Ronnie Dotaona (University of Technology, Papua New Guinea), and Boney Wera (National Agricultural Research Institute, NARI, Papua New Guinea), through the Intra-ACP Agricultural Policy Programme.

Roots and tubers are priority commodities for research, value chain development and food and nutrition security in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. CTA is keen to improve the evidence base to support policy and strategic decision-making as well as inform public debate on the future development and commercialisation of these crops.

CTA commissioned the experts to prepare four evidence-based papers which reflect the national and regional situation, their domain expertise, their organisation's priorities and indicate the way forward, building on the latest knowledge that they obtained from their attendance at the World Congress on Root and Tuber Crops, in Nanning.

This is particularly important as the conference aimed to raise awareness of the importance of the root and tuber crops in the world, review recent scientific progress, identify and set priorities for new opportunities and challenges and to chart a course to seek research and development support for areas where it is currently inadequate or lacking.

Source: http://www.cta.int/en/article/2016-01-27/crops-for-the-future-in-small-developing-island-states.html