In a Q&A article by Gilbert Nakweya in Nature Africa (Sept 2025), Appolinaire Djikeng, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and CGIAR senior director for livestock-based systems, shares his insights on how biosciences can boost food security in Africa. Below is an excerpt of the article. Professor Appolinaire Djikeng is a molecular biologist, based in Kenya, who
India’s contributions to global food systems and innovative solutions to enhance food security for a growing global population were a key part of the DialogueNEXT conference in New Delhi on 8–9 September, 2025. Held to mark World Agriculture Day, the event brought together more than 400 farmers, scientists, agribusiness leaders, and policymakers from across Asia and the world. Nobel laureate
By Moureen Awori, Communication and Visibility Expert (IITA), with contributions from Ngowenani Nohayi (IWMI) and George Mahuku (IITA) Uniting to drive transformative change in Eastern and Southern Africa, the CGIAR Scaling for Impact (S4I) program under Area of Work 5 (AoW5): Learning for Impact, recently brought together a diverse group of regional partners, led by the International Institute of Tropical
How can forgotten Amaranthus varieties, traditional Baobab ‘foodways’ and niche Fabirama tubers contribute to food systems transformation in Africa? Today, wheat, maize and rice provide approximately 50% of our plant-derived calories; yet, diversification through ‘neglected and underutilized species’ (NUS) could support the creation of climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive food systems. NUS are the traditional, wild or semi-domesticated species that formed the basis of diets for generations,
A major scientific breakthrough from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) could help groundnut farmers worldwide avert billions in crop losses from stem rot, a disease that slashes yield by up to 80%. In a study published in the Plant Genome journal, ICRISAT and partners mapped 13 genomic regions and 145 candidate genes linked to stem
By Thanh Duong, food environment and consumer behavior team from Alliance of Bioversity-CIAT As Vietnam’s “rice bowl”, the Mekong Delta not only feeds millions but also drives the country’s agricultural exports. Yet, behind this abundance lie urgent diet and nutrition challenges: rising obesity rates, persistent diet-related diseases, and widening inequalities. Addressing these issues requires looking beyond production to consider how
When Said Skounti, a young researcher from Morocco, walked into the Africa Climate Mobility Academy (ACMA) in 2024, he carried two things with him: a half-finished paper on the impacts of climate change on the cultural heritage of nomadic communities in southeastern Morocco, and a quiet frustration. He had the data, but no map for how to navigate peer review and
In September 2025, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) showcased its latest innovations and strategies at Tropentag 2025 conference in Bonn (Germany) under the theme “IITA Innovating for Resilience and Impact: Scaling Solutions for Sustainable African Agriculture.” The event featured IITA expert presentations addressing critical challenges African agriculture faces from climate change, pests, soil degradation, and the urgent need