IITA scientist highlights advances in genome engineering to tackle food insecurity in Africa

IITA–CGIAR organized a scientific seminar on 27 August, themed “Genome engineering of African staple food crops.” The event, anchored by IITA Director of the West Africa Hub, Michael Abberton, showcased the pioneering research work of IITA Plant Transformation Specialist, Jaindra Tripathi.

In his presentation, Tripathi highlighted the urgency of addressing global hunger and food insecurity, particularly in Africa, where the situation is increasingly critical. He noted that hunger on the continent has been rising since 2010, with approximately 61% of Africans currently food insecure. He added that 38% of the world’s hungry people live in Africa, and 20% of the continent’s population is undernourished. Compounding the problem, the cost of a healthy diet in Africa increased by 53% between 2020 and 2021.

Tripathi’s research addresses production constraints in banana, one of Africa’s key staple crops. He explained that banana production suffers up to 50% losses globally due to devastating diseases, such as Fusarium wilt and other pathogens. In response, his team has made significant strides in advancing plant transformation and genome editing technologies to combat these challenges.

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