For decades, Bambara groundnut has been quietly feeding families across Nigeria. In rural communities stretching from the savannahs of the north to the forest zones of the south, farmers (many of whom are women) have relied on this hardy…
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Turning evidence into action: Co-designing guidelines for implementing gender-transformative interventions in the cassava seed entrepreneurship ecosystem in Tanzania
Building a functional formal cassava seed system is critical to Tanzania’s agriculture. It is the foundation for providing high-yielding, disease-resistant, and climate-resilient cassava varieties to smallholder farmers. Yet the very people who form the backbone of cassava production, women…
For many years, selecting the right seed varieties for farmers in Rwanda was a slow and highly technical process. Before a seed recommendation could reach farmers, it often took up to two years of station-based trials and on-farm evaluations.…
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Genomics breakthrough offers new hope for faster improvement of Africa’s staple RTB crops
Roots, Tubers, and Bananas (RTB) crops, which include cassava, yam, banana, plantain, sweet potato, and potato, remain at the heart of food and nutritional security for millions of people across the tropics. In sub-Saharan Africa, especially these crops contribute…
In late May, the African Development Bank Group will convene its Annual Meetings in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, under the theme, “Mobilizing Africa’s Development Financing at Scale in a Fragmented World.…
Landmark decision recognizes non-GMO status of gene-edited banana events 12 May 2026 – Nairobi, Kenya: A quiet but significant shift in Kenya’s agricultural landscape is opening new opportunities and doors for innovation and renewed hope for banana farmers affected…
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) – locally known as cocoyam in Nigeria – supports food and nutrition security for many rural households in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Nigeria is the world’s largest taro producer, cultivating approximately 1.3 million hectares…
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IITA launches bamboo-based agroforestry initiative in Uganda to boost farmers’ livelihoods and environmental sustainability
IITA–CGIAR has launched a groundbreaking initiative to enhance bamboo agroforestry and economic resilience among smallholder farmers in Uganda. “Enhancing Bamboo Agroforestry & Economic Resilience for Smallholder Farmers in Uganda”, under the WeWork-green and decent jobs for youth project,…