IITA News

CGIAR Germplasm Health Units contributing to global phytosanitary systems

Quarantine and phytosanitary procedures have been established in all countries worldwide to address seed-borne pests spread by screening export and import consignments of germplasm. The CGIAR Germplasm Health Units (GHUs) use a unique multidisciplinary approach to ensure phytosanitary protection for the safe conservation and global movement of germplasm from the 11 CGIAR genebanks and breeding…

Enhancing youth’s willingness to engage in agripreneurship

With about 14% of Nigerian youth experiencing unemployment in 2020, research showed that youth between 15 and 24 years are not only available for employment but are actively seeking various means of employment. The huge youthful population in Nigeria faces high rates of unemployment, underemployment, and poor livelihood. A recent study by IITA–CARE youth researcher…

Agropastoral and social fair showcases IITA’s technologies and achievements in Cameroon

At the recently concluded Agropastoral and Social Fair of the Mefou Afamba division (COMAF 2020), which took place in Awae, IITA Cameroon showcased IITA technologies and ongoing project outputs. The Institute participated in COMAF from 27 to 30 January to increase community engagement in Cameroon. One of the highlights of IITA’s exhibition was the display…

Application of Aflasafe KE01 on a maize field by Sarah Chughu. (Photo: U Mutuku/IITA)

Scaling agricultural innovations to strengthen Africa’s food systems, food safety and nutrition

Africa’s food systems are at an inflection point. Food demand in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to at least double between 2015 and 2050. Moreover, income growth and urbanization are driving significant changes in consumer demand, including for more varied, nutritious, and value-added foods. Meanwhile, food security remains a challenge—according to the United Nations Food and…

PlantVillage NuruAI app among key innovations supporting poor farmers to cope with climate change

In his newly launched book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need,” Bill Gates singled out CGIAR centers, which have been at the forefront of supporting the world to feed itself through research including developing improved higher-yielding varieties of important staples such as maize and rice, as doing work that…

How crop innovation is addressing the impact of the climate crisis in Africa

In a just-published op-ed, Martin Kropff, Director General, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Nteranya Sanginga, Director General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), talk about CGIAR centers’ investment on long-term breeding to increase genetic gains in an important food crop like maize using many new tools and technologies. In the op-ed, Kropff…

IITA seeks to build more female scientists and leaders

On 11 February, the Women in Research and Science (WIRES) held a 13-hour marathon webinar to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The event themed “CGIAR Women in Science: Shaping the world through science and innovation,” assembled CGIAR centers to each give an hour presentation. Besides hearing about some cutting-edge science,…

ENABLE-TAAT trained agripreneurs record their first million in the poultry business

The multifaceted Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) project registered another success story, this time, in Nigeria’s poultry sector. A team of youth agripreneurs trained by the Empowering Novel Agribusiness-led Employment (ENABLE-TAAT) program recorded a gross profit of over ₦1 million—about $2,580—in 8 weeks. They got a return on investment of about 45% after two…

Aflasafe KE01: Biocontrol measure for Aflatoxin

Aflatoxins are a family of secondary toxins produced by certain fungi found on a wide range of commodities, including maize and groundnut. The primary fungi that produce aflatoxins are Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus found in warm and humid regions of the world. Aflatoxin-producing fungi can contaminate crops in the field during harvest and storage,…

Making a case for migrants’ originating households in Malawi

According to research, migration for employment is a key feature of youth mobility in certain parts of Africa. Individuals migrate primarily to improve their social status and learn new skills and trades. Internal migration—both rural to urban and rural to rural—of youth is also increasing due to lack of employment opportunities and other factors, including…