Have you ever paused to ponder the safety of the food on your plate? It is a question often overshadowed by concerns of availability and nutritional value, especially in many African communities grappling with food insecurity. But beyond the apprehensions of getting enough to eat lies the danger of consuming unsafe food. According to World Health Organization estimates, we live in a
Cassava production in western Kenya is being threatened by an army of pests and diseases that could decimate harvests. This starchy crop—the second most important in Kenya’s western and coastal regions, after maize—feeds over 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, and the challenge from these threats could have devastating consequences for food security in the region. But, new research offers
IITA–CGIAR and the Ministry of Agriculture, Village Water Supply, and Rural Development, Togo, have officially launched three new seed certification protocols on 30 September under the Agricultural Transformation in Nigeria’s Federal States and Togolese Regions Towards Achieving Zero Hunger Project. This project is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a key supporter of agricultural development initiatives worldwide. These protocols focus
The IFAD Agrihub project, a key initiative implemented by IITA, played a pivotal role in hosting a job fair in Ibadan, Oyo State. This project, which focuses on employment and entrepreneurship tracks, was instrumental in facilitating job linkages and reducing youth unemployment in the agricultural sector. It underscores the importance of youth empowerment in driving the growth and sustainability of the
To enhance fish production and processing in the province of South Kivu, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has partnered with WorldFish to provide fish farmers and the national aquaculture service with comprehensive training in aquaculture technologies and practices in the DRC as part of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) aquaculture program. This was achieved through a series of training courses held from 4 to
A group of passionate African and Indian agricultural stakeholders, united in their commitment to agricultural development, visited IITA-CGIAR on 3 October as part of activities outlined for the Global Okra Round Table II (GORT II) and 5F Farming Conference organized by the Foundation for Advanced Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR), India, and National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Nigeria. The delegates were received at the IITA Genetic Resources Center (GRC) conference
The 2024 Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report was launched recently with a compelling message from IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui. During the launch, Dr Ehui highlighted IITA and CGIAR’s essential role in driving agricultural innovation, improving food security, reducing poverty, and tackling the growing challenge of climate change globally. Speaking at the
Cowpea, an indigenous crop to Africa, is vital for its protein-rich grains, constituting up to 25% of its dry weight. This makes it a crucial protein source in many African diets, which are predominantly based on starchy foods like cassava, yam, potato, plantain, and cereals such as sorghum, millet, maize, etc. Cowpea grains are rich in antioxidants that contribute to