Economist Steffen Abele, based in IITA-Tanzania, discusses the challenges and potentials of marketing organic bananas sourced from Africa.

Banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) is threatening the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in East Africa. What is IITA doing to hasten R4D in developing bananas resistant to major pests and diseases such as BXW?

Banana and coffee intercropping is proving to be profitable on the Eastern highlands of Africa. Find out how and why.

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Vice President for Policy and Partnerships Akin Adesina, was at IITA recently to talk about how agriculture could transform Nigeria from a food-deficit to a food-exporting country again.

IITA was among eight CGIAR centers that will receive over €4 million in funding from Irish Aid. Peter Power, Irish Minister of State for Overseas Development, said that the €4.4 million funding is a “central component” of Irish Aid’s response to the global food crisis.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for more research on the tropical root crop cassava to help poor countries cope with rising food and oil prices. Cassava is a staple food for millions of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia, providing as much as a third of daily calories.

Many promising solutions remain on shelves because participation in their development and access to such knowledge have been limited. We launch this 6-monthly R4D Review in print and interactive online versions based upon open source principles…

IITA’s R4D Review is Africa’s authoritative magazine on finding solutions for hunger and poverty.

Grown by smallholder farmers, bananas and plantains are major food staples and two of the leading cash crops, both in the East African Great Lakes zone and the West African humid lowlands. Diverse banana cultivars are grown for a number of uses, including brewing (juice bananas), cooking and roasting, as well as sweet dessert bananas.

A private sector partner provides insights on the partnership between AGT and IITA and emphasizes the need for demand-driven research.