By Mercy Lung’aho, IITA On World Pulses Day 2026, the theme chosen by the Food and Agriculture Organization, “Pulses of the world: from modesty to excellence,” could not be more timely. It captures a quiet transformation already unfolding across…
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Tunde Ajayi
By Mercy Lung’aho, Food Security, Nutrition and Health Program Lead, IITA Every year, we reaffirm our commitment to women and girls in science. We host panels, share statistics, and celebrate role models. These efforts matter, but in Africa today,…
Eastern Africa
Accelerating banana breeding: IITA cuts breeding time substantially unlocking faster genetic gain
Banana breeding is a complex, expensive and time-consuming process because bananas have reduced fertility and a long cycle, taking decades to develop and release new varieties. However, recent research by IITA-CGIAR improves drastically the efficiency of banana breeding, paving…
Science Blog
Invisible threats: Addressing food safety risks in Africa’s informal markets to protect future generations
Have you ever paused to ponder the safety of the food on your plate? It is a question often overshadowed by concerns of availability and nutritional value, especially in many African communities grappling with food insecurity. But beyond the…
Western Africa
Amplifying tricot farmers voices and stories: reflections from participatory video techniques in Nigeria
Participatory research is not new, but is becoming more inclusive and collaborative, with the introduction of participatory video techniques, a method that has shown to elevate the voices of farmers, enabling two-way communication between researchers, farmers, and other rural…
Central Africa
AID-I Great Lakes transforming agricultural technology dissemination in Burundi, DR Congo, and Rwanda
More partnerships, direct demand of technologies and practices by scaling partners, increased knowledge, targets exceeded on women and youth, among others. Over the past two years (2022–2024), the Great Lakes Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I GLR)…
Western Africa
Promoting gender transformative approaches in agrifood systems: The importance of co-design process in fostering individual and organizational changes
There is rising interest in the use of Gender Transformative Approaches (GTAs) as strategic interventions to address underlying structural inequalities, especially gender norms that constrain women’s capacity and restrict their participation in agrifood systems. Following a series of studies,…
Eastern Africa
Transforming Agriculture Through Co-Designing: A Path to Gender Equity in Agrifood Systems
Gender transformative approaches (GTAs) have emerged as critical strategies for addressing deep-rooted gender inequalities in agrifood systems. The co-designing process, undertaken by Nyakitonto Youth for Development (NYDT) and Kolping Society of Tanzania (KST) in collaboration with the CGIAR Gender…