Fourth cohort of scientists graduate from advanced plant breeding course.

Thirty-two scientists from 21 countries graduated from the African Plant Breeding Academy, led by UC Davis on 13 December 2019. These scientists form the fourth cohort of the advanced plant breeding course that was launched in 2013. They join a group of over 80 other plant breeders who graduated from the same course, to tackle the challenges of food and nutrition security in Africa.

The Academy trains practising plant breeders in the most advanced theory and technologies to improve crop varieties and end chronic malnutrition and hunger on the continent.

The course, delivered in three two-week sessions at World Agroforestry (ICRAF) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, covered topics such as the latest concepts in plant breeding, quantitative genetics, statistics and experimental design. It also included accurate and precise trait evaluations, development of appropriate strategies to integrate genomics into breeding programs, and experience in identifying and utilizing genomic data and DNA-based markers in breeding programmes.

Under the leadership of Rita Mumm, a pioneer scientist in the seed industry with over 25 years of experience in plant breeding, the course is delivered by a team of specialists in various fields related to plant breeding.

‘Your job will be to walk new paths with the new knowledge you have acquired,’ said Ravi Prabhu, deputy director-general for research at ICRAF. ‘We face today immense challenges in agriculture in Africa, not only to feed the planet with nutritious food but at the same time combat climate change, provide jobs for our youth and reverse land degradation and, in particular, to preserve our food culture in Africa. Through you, our orphan crops are at long last getting the attention they deserve for the benefit of the continent.’

The 32 graduates from Class IV of the Academy are currently working on food and cash crops commonly consumed in their countries. These include starches — such as banana, cassava, millet, maize, potatoes, rice, sorghum, ‘tef’ and wheat — along with legumes — like beans, cowpea and groundnut — in addition to other essential foods, such as citrus fruits, moringa, onions, pepper, sesame and tomato. Out of these, bananas, moringa, lab lab bean, tef and onions comprise some of the orphan crops whose genomes are being developed by the African Orphan Crops Consortium.

‘The wealth of Africa lies in its genetic resources. These plant breeders need to be supported to put their knowledge to work,’ said Howard-Yana Shapiro, Chief Agricultural Officer of Mars Incorporated. ‘To achieve food security, we need community-of-change agents for nutrition in Africa. We are placing in you our trust that chronic malnutrition will end, and it must end, in Africa.’

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Africa has the highest prevalence of hunger and malnutrition in the world, at about 20 percent. By 2030, nutritious climate-resilient African orphan crops are expected to be part of diets that improve the lives of 20% of the rural population of Africa and 10% of its urban population.

Recognizing the importance of plant breeding to ensure food and nutrition security, the African Plant Breeders Association was recently launched as a Community of Practice of plant breeders across the continent to promote scientific plant breeding and research in Africa. Conceived by alums of the African Plant Breeding Academy, the Association is meant to serve as an ongoing platform for continued professional development.

 ‘Africa spends USD 50 billion on food imports,’ said His Excellency Ambassador Yaya Olaniran, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to FAO and other UN Rome-based agencies. ‘We can reduce this and spend this money on agriculture, reduce what we spend on importing seeds, and produce crops that are nutritious and climate resistant. People refer to poor farmers yet 80% of what you eat comes from their sweat. Can we do a little more for them? African orphan crops have all the nutrients and the climate resilience.’

The African Plant Breeding Academy, led by UC Davis, will enable breeders to improve African crops by Africans, in particular, lesser-known orphan crops that can help win the fight for food and nutrition security,’ said Pavithravani Venkataramana of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Tanzania, speaking on behalf of the graduates. ‘The African Plant Breeding Academy changes you as a person and as a breeder. When you pass through the hands of these experts, you are accelerated into world-class plant breeding.’

‘Success begins as a dream; success requires opportunity and accomplishment requires input from others. Success breeds further success,’ said Mumm in her closing remarks. ‘These 32 plant breeders, representing 21 countries, are among 112 scientists who are working to improve 105 crops, 55 of which are orphan crops. That will fuel the “green revolution” that Africa needs.’

The African Plant Breeding Academy, led by UC Davis is conducted in collaboration with the African Union New Partnership for Africa’s Development agency, ICRAF, Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa, Mars Incorporated and the African Orphan Crops Consortium. To date, 112 scientists, 38% of whom are women, from 27 African countries have graduated from the course.

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World Agroforestry (ICRAF) is a centre of scientific and development excellence that harnesses the benefits of trees for people and the environment. Knowledge produced by ICRAF enables governments, development agencies and farmers to utilize the power of trees to make farming and livelihoods more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable at multiple scales.

ICRAF is one of the 15 members of the CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future. We thank all donors who support research in development through their contributions to the CGIAR Fund.