ASTA

The Advanced School on Tropical Agriculture

About the program

The "Advanced School on Tropical Agriculture" (ASTA) is an annual course, designed for both students and professionals seeking high-level training. It is dedicated to tackling challenges in tropical agriculture and sharing insights across soils in Brazil and Africa. Through a unique design, this course will be delivered across continents in both Morocco and Brazil, offering both in-person and online attendance. Each year the course will consist of two week-long sessions, one at each location.

Annual Course Themes

Delivered over three years in total, each annual course will cover a distinct theme:

2024 — Nutrient Management
2025 — Crop Quantitative and Qualitative Yields
2026 — Agriculture and Renewable Energy Transition

Certificates will be provided for all attendees upon completion of the yearly course.

For UM6P Students: This course will contribute towards the mandatory course hours for CEDOC students.

Partners

This school is made possible through the collaboration between the Chair of Soil Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco, the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture at the University of Sao Paulo (USP), and the OCP Foundation.

UM6P – Chair of Soil Sciences

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is an institution dedicated to applied research and innovation. With a focus on Africa, it aspires to be among the globally recognized universities in these fields. UM6P's comittmenet to soil protection, particularly through its Chair of Soil Sciences, is unwavering. It acknowledges the pivotal role of soil in addressing pressing societal challenges.
This commitment extends to championing the cause of soil protection, as healthy and secure soilis are indispensible in combating climate change, feeding a growing global population, ensuring clean water sources, and fostering a sustainable way of life.

USP

The University of São Paulo is an academic institution dedicated to unlocking the intricacies of knowledge and its profound impact on society. At the heart of USP's mission lies a commitment to advancing learning, research, and innovation to address the multifaceted challenges of our world.
USP's dedication to advancing knowledge, fostering academic excellence, and promoting societal well-being aligns with its vision of a brighter and more sustainable future for all. As a leading institution in Brazil and on the global stage, the University of São Paulo continues to serve as a beacon of learning, innovation, and positive impact.

OCP Foundation

OCP Foundation is dedicated to catalyzing sustainable human development in Morocco and across the Global South. Harnessing the power of social innovation, OCP Foundation is on a relentless mission to drive inclusive socio-economic progress, foster skills development, and disseminate invaluable knowledge.
The foundation initiates groundbreaking projects and champions innovative approaches in close partnership with national and international organizations, all aimed at igniting and sustaining the creation of shared value. With an agile and collective intelligence-based action model, OCP Foundation operates acorss diverse domains such as education, research, and innovation among others.

2024 Program Overview

Nutrient Management

Mode: Hybrid (In-person and online).
Participants can engage either through live streaming or by accessing recorded content on this platform.

Duration: 10 days split into two phases.

Phase 1 — 4 days at UM6P, Benguerir, Morocco on February 20th to 23rd, 2024.
Phase 2 — 6 days with the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture at USP, Brazil from July 22nd to 27th, 2024.

Program structure:

Three hours of lectures and course work each morning and afternoon, delivered by international professors from Mohammed VI University in Morocco and the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Participants in Morocco will attend the second phase (in Brazil) online, while participants in Brazil will attend the first phase (in Morocco) online.
In-person participants only: One day during each phase there will be an opportunity for site visits, such as to a phosphate mine, agricultural research and innovation farm, and farms producing grain and cotton. Specific sites will be confirmed closer to the course date.