Applied Ecology Professor Harry Daniels recently embarked on a trip to Kenya with six other NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty to continue the ongoing partnership between CALS International Programs and several East African organizations. This was not Daniels’ first African experience, however. In fact, the water quality and hatchery management specialist credits his time in West Africa as a Peace Corps member for influencing the trajectory of his career. 

Daniels was particularly interested in Kenyan aquaculture, as that is his area of study. “Aquaculture is the fastest growing form of agriculture in the last 20 years, with more than 50% of the world’s seafood being farmed,” he explains. “Fish is a very important source of food for people around the world, including Africa.” 

However, aquaculture in Africa has unique challenges. “Productivity [in Africa] tends to be low, as there are constraints due to location,” says Daniels. 

 For example, Kenyans will use rainwater rather than groundwater in their aquaculture practices because the soils are volcanic. There are also different objectives compared with other countries. In Kenya, women and youth are more involved in aquaculture which creates opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Daniels, along with other CALS faculty members who traveled to the East African nation, learned about a variety of topics that align with their respective fields, including human nutrition, poultry feed manufacturing, irrigation, plant disease management and 4-H youth programs. The trip, led by Jose Cisneros, director of CALS International Programs, offered the faculty the opportunity to connect with government agencies, political leaders and professors from African universities to discuss how NC State can collaborate on future projects through the Connecting Research, Education and Outreach, or CREdO, program.

The diversity of expertise of the faculty who participated in the trip “embodies an attitude we need to have. The problems are broad,” shares Daniels. Because food systems in Kenya are more closely tied together than they are in the United States, Daniels emphasizes the importance of collaborating across disciplines. 

As a result of the trip, Daniels and his colleagues submitted a proposal to the U.S. Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative (USAID) Fish Innovation Lab program. If accepted, funding will be used to continue their work with the Kenyan Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) and several national universities, including Jomo Kenyatta University and the University of Nairobi, to establish extension activities in the Lake Victoria district.

Daniels encourages all faculty to join an international project. “Don’t wait until you have a lot of money from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Rather, talk to Jose Cisneros about your expertise and interests,” he says. “Take a longer view and adjust your expectations. Jose will find a way to get anyone involved in a project, either in Kenya or elsewhere in the world.” 

And the value of these projects go well beyond science and agriculture. Throughout his career, Daniels has seen firsthand how important international outreach and extension efforts can be on a personal level for families.

“This sort of work can be some of the most impactful work you can do,” he says.

This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.