Plants, like people, need healthcare. But in Africa, where agriculture is dominated by smallholders, farmers do not have access to reliable plant health advice and management services.
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?
IITA researchers have shown that investment in agricultural research is paying off: the generation and diffusion of modern maize varieties in the last three decades have lifted more than 1 million people in sub-Saharan Africa out of poverty in the last 10 years.
A series of impact studies in Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo provides evidence that IITA’s R4D work does have an impact on small-scale farmers.
Member countries of ECOWAS will need to significantly increase their investment in agricultural research and development to achieve the MDG aim of eradicating extreme hunger and poverty by 2015.
On 31 October 2011, Dr Hartmann completed his tenure as the sixth Director General of IITA. In this interview, Hartmann shares his experience on his 10-year stay at IITA.