{"id":1153,"date":"2022-09-07T09:32:56","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T09:32:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africafoodprize.org\/?p=1153"},"modified":"2022-09-07T10:05:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T10:05:30","slug":"africa-food-prize-winner-2022-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africafoodprize.org\/fr\/africa-food-prize-winner-2022-announced\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa Food Prize Winner 2022 Announced"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kigali: September 7, 2022<\/strong> \u2013 Eric Yirenkyi Danquah was today announced the winner of the 2022 Africa Food Prize at the AGRF2022 Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Africa Food Prize is the preeminent annual award that recognizes outstanding individuals or institutions that are leading the effort to change the reality of farming in Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric Yirenkyi Danquah has been celebrated for his outstanding expertise, leadership and grantsmanship skills that led to the establishment and development of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) as a world class centre for training plant breeders in Africa for Africa. Danquah is a Ghanaian plant geneticist, professor, founding director of the WACCI and former director of the Biotechnology Centre at the University of Ghana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Danquah founded the WACCI in 2007 at the University of Ghana, with the “aim of training a new generation of plant breeders to develop improved varieties of staple crops in West and Central Africa”. Through his leadership, WACCI attracted more than $30M US dollars of research and develpment funding and trained more than 120 PhD and 49 MPhil students in Seed Science and Technology from 19 African countries. This led to more than 60 improved seed varieties, including superior maize hybrid varieties, which will help boost yield for farmers and contribute towards food and nutrition security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the institution boasts of a new molecular biology\/tissue culture laboratory, a bioinformatics platform, and cutting-edge university farms including a US$300,000 ultra-modern screen house for controlled experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s winner selection is a reflection of the importance of promoting science and technology as tools to develop solutions for sustainable food systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The winner was chosen by a preeminent judging panel of leaders in African agriculture, comprising Africa Food Prize Committee President H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo (outgoing Chair), Dr. Vera Songwe, Dr. Eleni Z. Gabre- Madhin,  Dr. Kamau-Rutenberg, Mr. Birama Sidib\u00e9 and Prof. Sheryl Hendriks, Dr Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is a great privilege to be able to honour and shine a spotlight on the truly remarkable achievements of Dr. Danquah. His leadership in genetic innovation inspires the future of food security and nutrition in Africa has made a tangible difference to how a new generation is working to improve African food systems. He has been, and continues to be, a true inspiration for many young minds. On behalf of the African Food Prize Committee, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and appreciation for his continuing endeavors.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Africa Food Prize 2022 was sponsored by Corteva, Kenya Commercial Bank, UPL and AGRA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About The Africa Food Prize<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Prix de l'alimentation en Afrique est la r\u00e9compense la plus prestigieuse d\u00e9cern\u00e9e \u00e0 une personne ou une institution exceptionnelle qui contribue \u00e0 changer la r\u00e9alit\u00e9 de l'agriculture en Afrique - d'une lutte pour la survie \u00e0 une activit\u00e9 \u00e9conomique rentable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le prix, d'un montant de 100 000 dollars, rend hommage aux Africains qui prennent en main l\u2019agenda agricole du continent. Ce prix met l'accent sur les initiatives audacieuses et les innovations techniques qui peuvent \u00eatre reproduites sur tout le continent afin de cr\u00e9er une nouvelle \u00e8re de s\u00e9curit\u00e9 alimentaire et d'opportunit\u00e9s \u00e9conomiques pour tous les Africains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Comit\u00e9 du Prix prend en compte les crit\u00e8res suivants pour l'attribution du Prix :<\/p>\n\n\n\n