Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development

Agriculture Biotechnology Support Program at the Institute of International Agriculture (IIA)

A multi-regional, multi-partner program that has researched various agricultural crops in Egypt and South Africa, as well as training and policy-related projects in East Africa, Southern Africa, Egypt, Kenya and Uganda.

Bean-Based Foods to Improve Nutritional and Immune Status of HIV Positive Children in Tanzania and Botswana

This project involves researchers at Michigan State University, Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania, and the University of Botswana. Researchers are measuring the nutritional and health outcomes of a diet including a bean-based cereal product fortified with vitamins and minerals for children infected with HIV/ AIDS.

Bean/Cowpea Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP)

The Bean / Cowpea CRSP has worked in collaboration with dozens of institutions in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa to generate knowledge and technical outputs that contribute to increased bean/cowpea production, utilization, and consumption. The project has implemented measures to become self-sustaining.

Broadening Access and Strengthening Input Market Systems (BASIS) Collaborative Research and Support Program (CRSP)

The BASIS CRSP project is concerned with the institutional dimensions of water policy reform in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. One important aspect of the research includes decentralization of water resource management on women and the poor’s access to water.

Climate-Land Interaction Project (CLIP)

This MSU collaborative project works with African universities to conduct long-term research focusing on the relationships between land use/land-cover and climate change. The principle countries of research are Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Collaboration between the University of Mali College of Agriculture (IPR/IFRA) and MSU

This two-year collaboration at the University of Mali has sought to strengthen their post-high school program in agricultural technology. The program is designed to educate a new generation of Malian farmers and agro-entrepreneurs to be scientifically trained and attuned to a market economy.

Competition and Coordination in Cotton Market Systems

This is a collaborative research project with Imperial College London, examining the impact of reforms on cotton production and marketing systems in Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Food Security III Cooperative Agreement

A long-term collaborative research project focusing on food security issues in Africa. Research sites include Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zambia and the Sahel.

Improving Livestock Production In Mali: Partnership To Strengthen International Collaborations In Research And Education

Human capacity is needed to address the major constraints limiting livestock production in developing countries. This project will train Malians in improved Livestock production and facilitate the revamping of a livestock production course at Michigan State University.

Involving Users in Management: Introducing Co-management to Malawi’s Natural Resource Sectors

This project works alongside Malawi’s implementation of new techniques emphasizing the need of environmental co-management strategies with the involved stakeholders. Legislation as well as policies and administrative rules have been drafted as a method to aid this strategy.

Legume Best Bets to Acquire Phosphorus and Nitrogen and Improve Family Nutrition

The goal of this project is to improve Malawian families' access to nutritious legumes while promoting sustainable farming through diversified crop species that access soil nutrients for long-term productivity.

Mali Agricultural Growth and Nutrition Linkages [a Food Security Project]

This project investigated agricultural growth patterns and variations in food crops and their effects on children’s nutritional status in Mali.

Mali National Food Security Strategy Project [a Food Security Project]

A collaborative project with the Food Security Commissariat in Mali to make Mali’s National Food Security Strategy operational. The project focuses at the national, regional and local levels.

Mozambique Project Policy Analysis and Research Support [a Food Security Project]

This project worked in Mozambique to formulate and implement agricultural sector policies, strategies, and institutional reforms through formal on-the-job training.

Multi-Country Review of Cotton Sector Reform Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa

Multi-Country Review of Cotton Sector Reform Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa: Building on previous work in East/Southern Africa, this project (with funding from the World Bank) involves colleagues from World Bank, Imperial College (UK), and experts in Francophone Africa in a review of cotton sector reform experience in nine countries of East/Southern Africa (Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Uganda) and West/Central Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Benin).

Partnership for Enhancing Agriculture in Rwanda through Linkages (PEARL)

PEARL is helping to rebuild Rwanda’s damaged agricultural sector following the 1994 civil war and genocide by building, improving and introducing Rwandan coffee to the growing specialty coffee market. The efforts have had a significant and positive impact on the communities involved.

Partnership for Food Industry Development—Fruits and Vegetables (PFID-F&V)

PFID - F&V project collaborates with public and private partners to increase the competitiveness of small and medium scale producers in local, regional and international markets.

Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa (PCHPA)

This project focuses on increasing effectiveness of aid to Africa and mobilizes support for increased levels of assistance for Africa’s agricultural and rural development.

Projet d’Appui au Système d’Information Décentralisé du Marché Agricole (PASIDMA) / Mali Market Information Support Project [a Food Security Project]

The project to assist the Malian government to create and strengthen agricultural marketing strategies for farmers. The project is also focused at policy level change.

Rural and Agricultural Incomes with a Sustainable Environment (RAISE)

MSU and RAISE work in collaboration to assist public and private policymakers and aid agencies on measures to ensure food safety and promote other environmentally-sound strategies for economic growth in Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia.

Rwanda Food Security Research Project (FSRP) [a Food Security Project]

The goal of this project was to increase food security in Rwanda as part of a broad-based, market-oriented sustainable economic growth strategy.

Sahel Regional Program (West Africa Regional Project) [a Food Security Project]

MSU-supported program at the Institut du Sahel to develop improved policies and technologies in agricultural research. Focus countries include: Cape Verde, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. Current focus is on making databases on agriculture and demography available in query form on the web.

Southern African Maize Marketing and Trade Project, with the Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)

Michigan State University and regional partners are collaborating on analysis and outreach dedicated to promote food security in Southern Africa through improved regional maize marketing and trade networks. The countries involved in the project include Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia.

Tegemeo Agricultural Monitoring and Analysis Project (TAMPA II) [a Food Security Project]

An MSU-Kenyan collaborative project to collect and analyze data on household income and farming in Kenya.

The Center for Global Change and Earth Observations

The mission of CGCEO is: To specifically address the international aspects of the coupled social, land and climate systems in global environmental change studies using advanced geospatial tools, models, and observations. The overarching goal of CGCEO is to contribute to the understanding of the interrelations among human, land, and climate systems in an international context, as reflected in MSU’s Boldness by Design. Building on existing strength in interdisciplinary approaches to understand the social processes, land use and land cover patterns and processes, and environmental impacts and responses at regional to global scales, the Center addresses the following key science questions: How are social processes altering and impacting global environmental dynamics? How do these changes, in turn, respond to and affect land and human systems? The research activities at the Center attempt to identify, understand and model land surface processes, determine and quantify socioeconomic root causes of and responses to global change, and assess human/animal health and ecosystem services.

African Studies Center

at Michigan State University