The Global Child Nutrition Forum (GCNF) is the world’s largest and longest-running forum dedicated to supporting governments and their partners in delivering high-quality school meal programs. The 24th edition of the GCNF, held in Osaka, Japan from December 9-12, 2024, was organized by the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) in partnership with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the
For Malawian farmers Monica Levison and Liden Mbengo, the 2023-24 cropping season posed new challenges to prior years. Like many of their fellow smallholder farmers, they grappled with drought caused by the El Niño effect, which severely impacted agricultural production across southern Africa. Despite these challenges, smallholder farmers demonstrated extraordinary resilience with crucial advisory services provided by the Southern Africa Accelerated
On 21 January, IITA officially assumed leadership of the Soy Agronomy Center of Excellence, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to advancing soybean production in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. The transition was formalized during a visit by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) team to IITA headquarters, where they ceremoniously handed over the baton of leadership to the institute. The USSEC delegation was warmly
Vegetable farmers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are building their capacity in the production of organic fertilizer under the IITA BSF for Bio Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability (IITA-BBEST) Project, in partnership with the National Institute for Agronomic Study and Research (INERA). A practical training workshop for 50 people, including 24 men and 26 women was organized on
IITA–CGIAR, a member of the African Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCC) in partnership with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) at UC Berkeley, has officially launched the third cohort of its renowned African Plant Breeding Academy (AfPBA) CRISPR training program in Nairobi, Kenya. The program equips African molecular scientists with cutting-edge knowledge, skills, and tools to revolutionize agriculture across the continent.
Tanzania is building sustainable cassava-seed systems for high-quality seed through cassava seed entrepreneurs. However, women are often shut out of such business opportunities due to their lack of land, capital, and social norms that limit their mobility and literacy. A project designed to consider women’s needs has overcome some barriers by modifying the selection requirements for cassava seed entrepreneurs (CSEs)
West Africa’s ecosystems are transforming, reshaping its vast savannas into forest islands or arable lands. This change, mainly driven by human activity, has profound implications for soil health and ecosystem sustainability. Researchers from Institut de L’Environnement Et de Recherches Agricoles, Burkina Faso; Crop Research Institute (CSIR), Ghana; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana; Imperial College of Science and Technology, London; Wageningen
By Manuel Hernandez, Francisco Ceballos, and Maria Lucia Berrospi February 10, 2025 Recurring spikes and high volatility in international food and fertilizer prices (Figure 1) have triggered economic impacts around the world over the past two decades. These major shocks include the global food price crises of 2007-2008 and 2010-2011, the market disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war. In