IITA–CGIAR hosted the close-out workshop of the Building an Economically Sustainable, Integrated Cassava Seed System (BASICS-II) project from 25 to 27 August at the headquarters in Ibadan. The three-day event brought together partners and delegates from Nigeria and Tanzania to reflect on five years of achievements and chart the way forward for cassava seed systems in Africa. Funded by the Gates Foundation,
IITA–CGIAR and its partners have achieved a historic milestone in Liberia’s agricultural sector through the Seed4Liberia Project. For the first time in the country’s history, breeder seeds of improved IITA cassava varieties were exported in large quantities, used to establish breeder seed fields, and distributed to 27 pioneering foundation seed producers. These seed entrepreneurs will play a pivotal role in developing
IITA–CGIAR, in conjunction with partners and the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), held a capacity-building workshop for Commercial Seed Yam entrepreneurs under the Program for Seed System Innovation for Vegetatively Propagated Crops in Africa (PROSSIVA) project, on 1 September at the Local Government training hall, Oyo State Secretariat. The PROSSIVA project started with six states in Nigeria and two
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
Véronique Tevodrje and Christelle Dekadjevi are two young Beninese women bound by a strong friendship and a shared passion for modern agriculture. These two young women were part of the fifth cohort of the ENABLE-TAAT incubation program being implemented by the IITA Youth in Agribusiness program, where they received comprehensive training in sustainable agricultural techniques, agribusiness management, and innovation across the vegetable value chain.
By Ankita Tiwari Across the Global South, countries face shared challenges, climate change, food insecurity, fragmented markets, and limited resources for research and innovation. Yet these nations also share a unique strength: a wealth of knowledge, diverse farming practices, and complementary innovations that, if exchanged and scaled, can transform agriculture and rural livelihoods. This is the promise of South–South cooperation,
On Sept 5, 2025, the Alliance won Malawi’s “Best Incubation and Capacity Building” award for its BA4Y project, which empowers youth startups and SMEs with funding, training, and mentorship to drive jobs and resilient businesses. When the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT won Malawi’s award for “Best Incubation and Capacity Building for Small and Medium Businesses” on September 5th,
Soil plays a critical role in ensuring food security, carbon sequestration, and preventing the pollution of water sources. Conservation strategies are becoming increasingly urgent to maintain these critical functions. Soils of the Amazon region present challenging conditions for agriculture, such as low fertility and high acidity. Despite this, Amazonian communities have relied for centuries on practices to sustain food production