AIC is very pleased to announce the 2011 recipients of the Fellowship and International Recognition Awards.   The recipients were recommended for their respective awards by the Honours and Awards Committee:  David Chanasyk, Chair, Kim Shukla and John Proctor.

AIC Fellowship

Dr. John Kennelly

Dr. John Kennelly is Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta.  Dr. Kennelly has served on a number of national committees, including the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Nutrition, the College of Reviewers for the Canada Research Chairs Program, and as a member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Scholarship and Fellowship Committee.  He also served as a member of the Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel on the Future of Food Biotechnology and was a member of the Alberta Science and Research Authority Biotechnology Task Force.  In previous professional service, Dr. Kennelly was a member of NSERC's Animal Biology Grant Selection Committee for three years and Chair for one.  He has also served as a member of the Editorial Board of the British Journal of Animal Science, the Journal of Diary Science and the Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Science.

His contributions to teaching, research and extension have been recognized by national and international awards.  These include the Earle W. Crampton Award for Distinguished Service in Nutrition (2003), the American Society of Animal Science, the Ruminant Nutrition Research Award (2002), the International College of Nutrition, Sing Felicitation Award (2002), the establishment of the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar Award of Merit in recognition of over 20 years of service as Program Director for the WCDS, the CSAS Award for Excellence in Genetics and Physiology (2000), the Canadian Animal Industries Award in Extension and Publish Service and Physiology (2000), the Canadian Animal Industries Award in Extension and Public Service (1997), the CSAS Award for Excellence in Nutrition and Meat Science (1994), the CSAS Young Scientists Award (1987), and the University of Alberta McCalla Research Professorship (1994). 

Dr. Kennelly was nominated for the AIC Fellowship by Lorne Babiuk, Mick Price and David Lloyd, with assistance from Erasmus Okine.  

International Recognition Award

Asia K. J. Kasuwi Kapande

Asia Kapande calls herself an activist of women's development, a trainer in food and nutrition with a focus on hunger relief crops (orange fleshed sweet potato and cassava).  She emphasizes the growing of such crops for a sustainable food security, especially at the household level in Tanzania where rainfall is a problem. Mrs. Kapande has shown leadership in the areas of food security, poverty reduction, gender equality, women's health, rural development, the environment, training and education in Tanzania and in East Africa for more than 40 years.

She is a professional home economist who has developed her skills in project management, policy development, and analysis by seeking out volunteer and paid opportunities to make a difference in her country. She has participated in national and international professional activities leading to the strengthening of home economics as a profession in Tanzania and in Africa, and in providing service to her community.

She has been tireless in her many roles in government, community, professional and non-governmental committees, associations and boards. She continues to make a difference through her work with the Tanzania Home Economics Association, the Nile Basin Discourse, the Tanzania Nile Discourse Forum and several primary and secondary school committees in Tanzania.

Asia Kapande was nominated for the International Recognition Award by Dinah Ceplis, Benito Mwenda and Paul Derksen.

Canadian Society for Horticultural Science

Ghana Institute of Horticulturists

Back Row:  Patrick Kumah, Gustav Mahunu, Jos�e Owen Front Row:  Mary Ruth McDonald, Abdul-Halim Abubakari, Irene Idun, Tom Beach

The CSHS/GhIH International Twinning Partnership project "Strengthening the Impact of Horticulture on Social Development in Ghana," initiated in 2001, brings together Canadian and Ghanaian project management team members in using a relatively small budget to achieve very impressive gains in two areas. First, the project has strengthened the capacity of the Ghana Institute of Horticulturists, helping it to grow into a professional organization run to high management standards, with a strong professional and student membership that is active and influential in the development and promotion of the Horticultural industry in Ghana.

Secondly, the project has supported GhIH's professional members in carrying out activities in Ghana's impoverished Upper West Region, activities which, through education, training and logistical support, directly empower women and men in growing and using dry season vegetables using sustainable production methods. The results are manifold, including empowerment of women in decision making, improved nutrition and poverty reduction and many others. The projects professional exchanges have been rich learning opportunities for team members to learn from each other, share experiences and expertise, and presentations further share these experiences with other agriculturists in both countries. The project has made an outstanding contribution to the improvement of agriculture in the developing world. 

Society Representatives: 

Canadian Society for Horticultural Science

Denis Charlebois, President

Project Coordinators: Jos�e Owen (lead), Merv Pritchard, Dinah Ceplis and Mary Ruth McDonald

Ghana Institute of Horticulturists

Ben Banful, President

Project Coordinators:  Abdul-Halim Abubakari (lead 2010-11), Patrick Kumah (lead 2006-2010), Gustav Mahunu and Irene Idun

The CSHS and GhIH were nominated for the International Recognition Award by Chris Cutler, Manish Raizada and Viliam Zvalo.   

The International Twinning Partnership Program has completed five years of very rewarding and productive results, thanks to the many volunteers who are members of AIC or one of the seven partner organizations globally.  One requirement from project partners is a final project report with a detailed assessment of the activities, the successes, the challenges and the results that have changed lives and built both communities and organizations. The project reports provided the material for staff to complete the formal End of Program report to CIDA which will be available on the AIC website in August.

In their reports, partners included lessons they have learned in their project implementation. We will be sharing the lessons among the partner organizations to give others tools to use when working to improve the lives of rural beneficiaries, to strengthen their organizations and to attract and retain members of their organizations.

Following are some lessons that could be of benefit to you or to your Canadian organization. They are also interesting because they give insight into the environment our partners work in, what they value, and what methods are effective in producing results. As you read them, reflect on the similarities to rural extension work, farming and organizational management in Canada and think about the differences.

Extension

Farmers are only interested in testing technologies that are clearly superior to what they are using now. New varieties and other agronomic practices that increase yields are good entry points for the testing and adoption of new practices.

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Let farmers choose; value their knowledge, culture and local expertise. Farmers base their decisions about adoption mainly on the potential economic benefits to be obtained.

New practices should be low cost and not require expensive inputs. 

Establishing three streams of income creates a resiliency to risks that is greater than depending on one stream of income. 

Collaboration between researchers, extension workers and farmers promotes more appropriate activities and sustainable results. 

Seeing the adoption of land and crop management practices in other farmers' fields is more convincing to farmers than listening to researchers or extension workers or visiting researcher-managed demonstration plots. 

Visits to research institutes helps to widen farmers' knowledge and outlook on new technologies.  

Organizations

Development of an organizational vision, strategic plan and guidelines gives members confidence in the viability of the organization. 

The positive results due to organizational assessments and strategic plans, demonstrates that planning processes need to be reviewed and revised annually or bi-annually. 

The establishment of nodes or regional branches of an organization is an effective way of involving more members and delivering new technologies and information to far reaching regions.  

Youth Group in Tanzania

Member engagement and capacity development occurs with projects at the branch level where members can apply and develop their abilities. 

Rotating the national AGM among the zones or regions has increased member participation in organizing and conducting the event and reduced the cost for local members to attend. 

Women in leadership positions throughout the organization influenced the gender sensitivity of their male counterparts while advancing the professional status of women. 

Even though the scientific journal helped sustain membership of scientists who required it for promotion at work places, there were fewer females than males as members and presenting scientific articles for publication in the journal. This was attributed to the low university enrolment of females in science and mathematics. To increase participation of females in scientific societies, the scientific societies need to encourage young women to enrol in science programs and to make careers in agricultural science attractive to young women. 

Working with government can help to change or direct policies to support farmers.  

Tom Beach, International Program Coordinator 

Frank Payne passed away on June 9, 2011 in Ottawa.  Born in Aneroid, Saskatchewan, he received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan and, following graduation, joined the Saskatchewan Agricultural Representative service where his major contribution was in the development and growth of the province's 4H clubs.  In 1950, he was appointed provincial Poultry Commissioner and pioneered the introduction of new flock health initiatives.

He joined Agriculture Canada in 1958 as Chief, Markets and Merchandising, Poultry Division, a position he held until 1969.  In 1969-70, he served as Acting Director of the Poultry Division.  From 1970 to 1978 he was Director of the Livestock Division and introduced a new grading system for pork and beef and promoted international trade in livestock.  He was then named Director-General, Production and marketing.  In 1980, he was appointed by the agriculture minister to administer western Canadian drought relief.  In the two years prior to his retirement from Agriculture Canada in 1982, Mr. Payne was director general (Policy) with responsibility for crop insurance, western grain stabilization and farm support programs.

After retirement, Mr. Payne served as Secretary-Manager of the Canadian Consulting Agrologists Association and was the key figure in the evolution of the Association.  Following his tenure with the CCAA, he took on the position of Executive Director of the Agricultural Institute of Canada on an interim basis.  He has also devoted himself to the breeding and selection of a new line of beef cattle, Lanark Reds.

His is a recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Awards of the University of Saskatchewan and was the first person to be named an Honourary Life Member of the Canadian Consulting Agrologists' Association.

He was named a Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada in 1993.

Sources:  AIC Annual Report 1992; Ottawa Citizen, June 13, 2011

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