News Overview

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

During the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum 2025), the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT formalized agreements with CORAF, Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Water and Forests, and Senegal’s Ministry of Agriculture. These partnerships reflect a shared vision: building sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems. More than signings, these collaborations open a horizon of scientific, technical, and political synergies

By Kate Ambler, Jeffrey Bloem, and Alan de Brauw September 12, 2025 Income growth and urbanization are driving changes in agrifood value chains in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), expanding business opportunities for individuals and firms involved in moving food from rural to urban areas. This value chain midstream is a promising entry point for efforts to expand digital finance, offering benefits not just to

The Clearinghouse Established 6 years ago, funded by the Gates Foundation in support of the African Development Bank (AfDB)’s TAAT (Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation) flagship program, the Clearinghouse has proved a very effective scaling mechanism to drive CGIAR technology scaling across 34 African countries. Second, the Clearinghouse has demonstrated its ability to leverage AfDB’s Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) grants