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How IITA discovered the fall armyworm

Isn’t it interesting how seemingly unrelated events in two countries can lead to the same outcome? The story of identifying the fall armyworm in Africa is as intriguing as the pest itself. In 2015 Ylva Hillbur, IITA’s former Deputy Director General (DDG) Research for Development was in talks with a Swedish team of researchers at…

The Kingdom of Eswatini celebrates milestone with the launch of nationally significant nutrition books

The Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, in collaboration with IITA, has launched a Food Composition Table and a National Recipe Book for foods commonly consumed in the southern African country. The ceremony to unveil the books took place in the legislative capital of Lobamba in October 2019. Chief Research Officer at the Ministry of…

IITA scientists seek to improve soybean yields to bridge SSA demand gap

IITA scientists through research, have revealed the current status of soybean in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), while exploring options that could reduce import dependency on soybean in SSA despite the challenges from climate change. A paper published in the Food and Energy Security journal revealed that this research is the first to analyze plausible futures for…

Why it’s essential to pay attention to plant health

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). The objective of IYPH is to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development. IITA joins the rest of the world in commemorating IYPH. Over the…

DG Sanginga calls for intensified youth engagement in agribusiness at “Future of Food Forum”

About 250 professionals from six countries and 19 states attended the University of Florida’s “Future of Food Forum”, sponsored by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The forum comprised farmers, researchers, chefs, aquaculturists, students, and academics. One-third of the registered audience were from the private sector. The forum had five panels, each comprising recognized…