Major initiative to transform agriculture in Africa

A new comprehensive program to ensure “Africa feeds Africa” will focus on eight priority agricultural value chains, including horticulture.

More than 200 research and development partners and experts are meeting 12-14 April 2016 at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria, in a three-day workshop to discuss a new initiative known as “Africa Feeding Africa”, or the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program.

TAAT is a critical strategy for transforming agriculture on the continent to ensure that Africa is able to feed itself through agriculture.

The African Development Bank (AfDB), working with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and other partners, has identified eight priority agricultural value chains relating to rice sufficiency, cassava intensification, Sahelian food security, savannas as breadbaskets, restoring tree plantations, expanding horticulture (go vegetables!), increasing wheat production, and expanded fish farming.

This initiative will be led by IITA, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), CGIAR, national agricultural research systems, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). This will involve close partnerships among AfDB, the World Bank, and major development partners to ensure increased funding for agricultural research and development along the value chains in Africa. CGIAR, FARA, The World Vegetable Center (AVRDC), Africa Harvest, and other partners will provide technical and developmental support.

Leafy vegetables that under normal circumstances wither and spoil within one day can be kept fresh for marketing for up to 5 days in this low cost structure of bricks and sand. This and other postharvest technologies promoted by the World Vegetable Center can help ensure “Africa feeds Africa.”