In improving banana production in East Africa countries, researchers are multiplying and testing for the adoption of NARITA hybrid varieties that are high yielding and resistant to Black Sigatoka disease in Kenya. Banana is the third most important food after maize and rice, with an annual production of 1.5 million tons, lower than the 4.4 million in Uganda and 4
Crop Trust and the CGIAR Genebank Platform have recognized four staff from the IITA Germplasm Health Unit (GHU) and Virology Unit with the “Outstanding Genebank Team” award for 2021. This accolade acknowledges the overall achievements and contributions of GHU and, specifically, the “Legume Seed Health Testing and Phytosanitation” Team that ensured the genebank operations were uninhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period in 2020.
The Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigeria Universities (ADAN) has honored IITA Director General Dr Nteranya Sanginga with an Award of Excellence for successfully pioneering the IITA Youth in Agribusiness program. The award was presented during the 64th annual general meeting of ADAN held recently in Nasarawa State, north-central Nigeria. “We are proud of the impact of the work that IITA has been doing,
Research reviews national policy instruments in fourteen countries that link aquatic foods to food and nutrition security, finding that food insecure countries were more likely to recognize the intersectional benefits of aquatic foods in national policies. Read more
How can the resilience of society be strengthened through inter-sectoral cooperation? How can transboundary cooperation help us adapt, reduce conflicts and build back better? These were some of the issues discussed in the seminar on Breaking Silos at the World Water Week 2021, which virtually brought together participants from around the world. The Still Breaking Silos: Climate action and water
As the UN Food System Summit draws near, a new white paper outlines how well executed soil, crop, and water management can maintain and increase soil organic carbon (SOC) content for healthy and fertile soil, while lowering global CO2 levels and enhancing food security. The study carried out by ICARDA, the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), the African Plant
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been awarded the 2021 Africa Food Prize, for work that has improved food security across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT, a CGIAR Research Center, is a non-profit, non-political public international research organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of
The Agrobiodiversity Index provides evidence of how well the plants, animals and micro-organisms that support food and agriculture (agrobiodiversity) are used and conserved in our food systems. Using global data for 80 countries, a newly published study shows that the status of agrobiodiversity in national food systems is underutilized, and political commitments and actions aimed at enhancing this diversity need