CGIAR News Archives: First ever Pan-Africa Banana Conference opens in Kenya / CGIAR

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Originally published on cgiar.org by:International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on Oct 5, 2008

Mombasa, Kenya — In a bold effort to change the way bananas and plantains are produced and marketed in Africa, banana farmers, buyers, trade officials, donors and scientists are gathering in Mombasa, Kenya, this week for the first Pan-African Banana Conference. Participants are intent on transforming smallholder banana production in Africa by linking farmers to regional and global markets, which represent billions of dollars each year in banana purchases.

Africa's small-scale banana growers account for a third of world banana production but for only 4 percent of sales in the US$4 billion international export market. Representatives from major international companies, in addition to companies involved in organic and fair trade banana markets, are attending the conference to examine opportunities for small-scale growers to participate in their supply chains.

"African farmers produce an incredible volume and variety of bananas, yet only a small percentage of the globally traded bananas come from Africa," said Steffen Abele, an economist with the Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), which has organized the conference along with Bioversity International, which is based in Rome. Both centers are supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). "The challenge is to determine how Africa can claim a larger portion of the market in a way that puts money in the pockets of the continent's small-scale growers."

Sub-Saharan Africa produces 30 million tons of bananas, which provide food for about 100 million people and account for 35 percent of global banana and plantain production. Uganda alone produces 10 million tonnes of banana annually, with an estimated value of US$1.7 billion, making this country the world's second largest banana producer after India. Recent studies have found that the expansion of small-scale banana production in certain countries like Rwanda—where bananas meet 80 percent of human nutritional needs in some areas—has helped shield Africans from the shock of soaring food prices.

New research results to be presented at the conference provide valuable insights into what farmers can do to immediately improve their earnings in local and regional markets. For example, a new study from a project in Kenya operated by the NGO TechnoServe shows that when small-scale banana farmers organized themselves into grower groups, adopted product standards, obtained capital for purchasing farm inputs and marketed their bananas directly to wholesalers, their incomes doubled and, in some cases, even tripled.

Another investigation found that a lack of capital, inadequate transportation, unfair taxes and inconsistent prices significantly limit the ability of small-scale farmers to benefit from growing cross-border banana trade between Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Scientists and growers participating in the conference are also discussing technical innovations and scientific advances in biotechnology, together with organic farming techniques, which will help small-scale growers overcome current and emerging threats to production, such as plant diseases, poor soils, and climate change.

Among the most serious threats to Africa's banana production are banana Xanthomonas wilt and black Sigatoka disease, each of which can cause yield losses of 30 to 50 percent. Scientists at IITA and Bioversity International are working with a global network of plant breeders to develop new banana varieties for African farmers that can offer both disease resistance and higher yields, while matching local standards for taste and quality.

Researchers have also worked with farmers to develop relatively inexpensive and environmentally friendly management practices for protecting plants from disease infection. These practices have significantly blunted the impact of banana Xanthomonas wilt in Uganda and could be extended to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya, where the disease is now spreading.

Abele said the goal of the conference is to create a comprehensive 10-year research and development plan that focuses not just on export markets but on identifying and pursuing myriad opportunities for Africa's banana growers to gain both higher incomes and greater food security from their crop. The plan will address themes such as:

- Farmer cooperatives: Organizing farmers so they can sell directly to wholesalers and cut out middlemen, who are costing them millions of dollars annually in lost income;
- Processing and value-addition: Developing the infrastructure and markets to expand output of many processed products from bananas; and
- Seed systems: Breeding and distribution of new high-yielding, disease-resistant banana varieties, which will better enable African farmers to overcome looming threats to production, such as the potentially devastating Black Sigatoka disease.

"The notion that bananas are a significant yet untapped source of wealth for Africans has really struck a responsive chord," said Thomas Dubois of IITA. "We are seeing influential stakeholders from all sectors—industry, government, farmer groups, NGOs—saying they want to be in Mombasa to help shape a 10-year action plan for African banana production."

The European Union is the world's largest banana importer, but only about 4 percent of its bananas come from Africa. Central and Latin American countries dominate the global banana trade. Representatives of European NGOs and enterprises will talk about how African growers can sell more bananas to European buyers. For example, the low-input production methods of small-scale banana growers in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi could be well suited for meeting the high standards of organic buyers.

Extensive discussions are taking place at the conference on how investments in banana processing can greatly expand income opportunities for banana farmers. In Africa, products made from bananas and banana plants include beer, wine, juice, sauce, mats, handbags, envelopes, postcards, flour, soap and breakfast cereals. Today, Uganda alone offers 200 processed banana products, though they are seldom found beyond local markets. Overall, the limited investment in processing means that most of the income from African bananas today is confined to sales of fresh, perishable fruit for immediate consumption.

"The incredible range of expertise and ideas being shared here in Mombasa indicates that there is broad commitment to changing the way bananas are produced and marketed in Africa," said Richard Markham, director of the Commodities for Livelihoods program at Bioversity International. "We are confident we will emerge from this conference with 10-year plan of action that will allow banana farmers in Africa to use their crop, not just as a way to feed their families, but also as a way to lift themselves out of poverty."

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For more information, please contact:

Steffen Abele, s.abele@cgiar.org
Director
IITA - Tanzania

Thomas Dubois, t.dubois@cgiar.org
Biocontrol Specialist
IITA - Uganda

Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Manager
Communication Office
IITA - Headquarters
Ibadan, Nigeria
URL: www.iita.org

About IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people's lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization since 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.