food security Archives

Gender equality can boost food security through sustainable systems

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) researchers had adopted a scoping review in a recently published United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) brief to assess the current evidence on pathways between gender equality, women’s empowerment, and food systems. Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in food systems can result in greater food security and…

Food security: Scaling innovation towards banana production in Rwanda

To improve food security in banana production in Rwanda, IITA has commenced a project titled “Multiplatform delivery of co-developed tools for national control and prevention of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) in Rwanda: Scaling innovation for enhanced Banana production and Food Security – ICT4BXW@Scale ” In Rwanda, banana is the leading staple food and source of…

Peas ‘n’ Chips: Creating food security with African yam bean

The African yam bean (AYB), Sphenostylis stenocarpa, produces beans in pods above-ground and tubers beneath. This climate-resilient tuberous legume replenishes the soil through nitrogen fixation and is highly nutritious, with the protein-rich beans and the tuber as an energy source. AYB has a high amino-acid profile and alleviated malnourishment during the Nigerian civil war in…

IITA’s circular bioeconomy innovations contributing to food security and natural resource management in sub-Saharan Africa

Innovations on the circular bioeconomy from IITA have contributed positively to increasing crop productivity, food security, resource use efficiency, job creation, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This is according to a study by the CGIAR-IITA research team that assessed the contributions of IITA’s circular bioeconomy innovations to economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The findings…

Researchers call for gender-friendly crop varieties to aid food security

Researchers call for gender-inclusive crop varieties to aid food security

The global population is rapidly increasing and there is need for increase in global food production to meet the needs of the growing population. Although maize is one of the most important and widely cultivated staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, yields have been significantly low in many countries. However, research has shown that gender has…

Farm Radio wants IITA collaboration to boost farming communities

Farm Radio International, a non-profit organization using radio to help African farming communities support themselves, has indicated an interest to collaborate with IITA in Nigeria. The Farm Radio team disclosed this on 17 February, during a virtual introductory meeting between the two organizations. The Farm Radio team included the Country Program Manager, Eucharia Uranta Okonkwo,…

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…

Control of mycotoxin effect in plantain

Plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) is a tropical staple found in Central and West Africa. They are often cooked green but may also be dried or ground for use as a meal. And the plantain meal can be refined further to flour. Fresh plantains are rich in potassium; a 100 g fruit provides 499 mg of potassium. They also provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Mature unripe plantain can be…

Food security and economic benefits of newly released cassava varieties

At the end of 2020, IITA’s cassava breeders collaborated with their research partners and released five new varieties. Their names, indicating their attributes to farmers, processors, and consumers, are Game-Changer, Hope, Obasanjo-2, Baba-70, and Poundable. In January 2021, scientists and breeders from IITA, Next Generation Cassava (NextGen), and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike,…

Tanzania Agriculture PS acknowledges and lauds IITA research work

Project supports Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) teaching in agricultural training institutes in Tanzania

One way to help farmers cope with climate change and its threat to their livelihood is to ensure the extension officers who work with them are knowledgeable on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and technologies and how to apply them in different agro-climatic zones and production systems. In this regard, the Building Capacity for Resilient Food Security in Tanzania, supported by the USAID mission in the country,…