IITA News

The gender equity gap: An inside look at vegetable producers and traders in northern and central Tanzania

Researchers have found that female vegetable farmers and traders in northern Tanzania earn less than their male counterparts while providing the same amount of labor, highlighting the need for more effort to tackle gender inequalities in agriculture. A study published in The European Journal of Development Research (February 2020) analyzed how gender inequality has affected…

New potato varieties introduced to combat potato cyst nematode

Scientists from NemAfrica, the nematology unit at CGIAR-IITA, and the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) are currently assessing new potato varieties that are resistant to the potato cyst nematode (PCN) pest. These damaging pests significantly reduce yields and tuber sizes and consequently impact farmers’ income and food security in Kenya and the…

STEP impact goes beyond secondary schools to communities

The Start Them Early Program (STEP) of IITA is making more impact than was envisioned at the beginning of the program. STEP, which was initially meant to change the negative mindset of secondary school students about agriculture, has also begun to positively impact parents and the communities where these secondary schools are located. The STEP…

A youth provides services to farmers in a rural setting (Photo: C. Mutungi/IITA).

Talking about food loss and food waste with Dr Christopher Mutungi, IITA Food Technology Specialist

By 2050, the world’s population is estimated to increase to 9 billion people. To feed the increasing population, agriculture production needs to more than double. While agricultural stakeholders are thinking of how to produce the needed food, the current food loss and waste along the food systems need to be curbed to secure food production….

A farmer proudly displays TME419 cassava variety

Nigeria approves new names for top performing cassava varieties

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday evening approved new names for 10 improved cassava varieties, as part of efforts to brand the root crop for easy identification, cultivation and marketing of cassava stems. The branded varieties comprise 6 released varieties and 4 yet-to be-released varieties. The released varieties and their new names are as…

IITA and CIMMYT collaborate to enhance adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Southern Africa

Lilongwe, Malawi. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) recently launched a project that aims to investigate the drivers and barriers to adoption of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in southern Africa and to develop strategies for achieving adoption and impact at scale. The project, Understanding and Enhancing…

IITA and regional grains body to work towards producing aflatoxin-free grain for health and trade

CGIAR-IITA and the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together to tackle aflatoxin contamination of grain in the region. Achieving this will ensure that grains are safe for human and livestock consumption and meet export standards. Aflatoxin, a highly poisonous chemical produced by a naturally occurring fungus known as Aspergillus flavus, poses a severe health threat to both humans and animals. Acute…

Visit of ECOWAS Directorate of Agriculture to IITA-Abuja reignites partnership

The Director of Agriculture and Rural Development of ECOWAS, Alain S.Y. Traore, and other members of staff visited IITA–Abuja to familiarize themselves with the activities of the Institute in the Nigerian capital. The visit is the first despite both offices being in Abuja for many years. The Head of IITA-Abuja, Gbassey Tarawali, and the scientists at the station organized an interactive session for the ECOWAS delegation to showcase the different projects operating there. In his welcome remarks, Tarawali expressed delight about the visit, the…

The mobile cassava processing plant: A solution to cassava business challenges

On 25 August, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Cassava compact team of IITA hosted the Ogun State farmers’ group from the Abeokuta Chamber of Commerce Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (ABEOCCIMA) at the Institute’s headquarters. The group came on a tour of IITA’s facilities and the mobile cassava processing plant. The visit also aimed to explore possible partnerships with IITA in accessing agricultural technologies for…

Science of scaling: What have we learned so far?

On 25 August 2020, the CGIAR Communities of Practice on Data-Driven Agronomy and Scaling held a second webinar on the Science of Scaling, as part of its webinar series on Ingredients for Scaling. The webinar tackled the multiple questions What is the science of scaling and what have we learned so far? What critical knowledge gaps remain unfilled? What…