The project objective is to improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers through selection of improved cowpea varieties resistant to aphid and striga in Benin. The expected outputs are the selection of at least five resistant improved cowpea varieties to aphid and striga; at least two most adaptable and stable cowpea varieties in Beninese conditions are selected among the germplasm.

Project/Donor: Participatory evaluation of cowpea varieties for productivity, nutritional quality and adaptations to major biotic and abiotic constraints in Benin / Islamic Development Bank Participatory Cowpea Breeding in Benin Project

The project is in line with the main thrust of agricultural development, i.e., the diversification of agricultural production through the promotion of the common bean. Expected results include: high-yielding bean varieties of good nutritional quality are offered to producers; the bean production, marketing and consumption value chain is established; and promotion of gender across the corridors is effective.

Project/Donor: West and Central Africa Bean Research Network (WECABREN) / The Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA)

Project/Donor: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The primary objective of this project is to develop high yielding aflatoxin resistant maize hybrids for improved nutrition and health in Ghana. It is expected that at least one high yielding aflatoxin resistant maize variety(ies) will be identified which will be registered and released for cultivation and use by Ghanaian maize farmers and consumers in general.

Project/Donor: Breeding aflatoxin (A. flavus) resistant maize for improved nutrition and health in Ghana / The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), National Academy of Sciences

The project objectives are to develop high yielding bean varieties and facilitate access and consumption of these higher iron beans through seed production and exchange among member countries.

Project/Donor: West and Central African Bean Research Network / Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA)

The TELA Maize Project is a public-private partnership that is working towards initiating commercialization of transgenic, drought-tolerant and insect-protected maize varieties to enhance food security in SubSaharan Africa. The TELA Maize Project is a publicprivate partnership that is working towards initiating commercialization of transgenic drought-tolerant and insect-protected maize varieties.

Project/Donor: TELA Maize Project, Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) / The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, The Government of Kenya

The Genetic Improvement of Dry Beans for Bruchid Resistance for Southern Africa Project objective is to develop and release weevil-resistant common bean varieties with good agronomic performance in seed market classes preferred in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. The project expects to develop highly nutritious and weevil resistant common bean varieties for food, nutrition and income security.

Project/Donor: Genetic Improvement of Dry Beans for Bruchid Resistance for Southern Africa / United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The objective of this research is to contribute to improving the food security and income of Mali farmers through the cultivation of high yielding potato varieties. Expected outputs/outcomes include: existing potato varieties in Mali are identified; women and men farmers are trained in good potato production, processing, and preservation techniques; and women and men perceptions on both potato.

Project/Donor: Scaling up small-scale irrigation technologies for improving food security in Sub-Saharan Africa / The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and The International Center of Bio-saline Agricultural (ICBA)

The Genetic Improvement of Dry Beans for Bruchid Resistance for Southern Africa Project objective is to develop and release weevil-resistant common bean varieties with good agronomic performance in seed market classes preferred in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. The project expects to develop highly nutritious and weevil resistant common bean for food, nutrition and income security

Project/Donor: Genetic Improvement of Dry Beans for Bruchid Resistance for Southern Africa / United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The project objective is to improve breeding operations and methodologies as well as ensuring integration between breeding outputs and early generation seed availability by 2022. The expected outcomes are improved access to improved varieties, enhanced seed delivery systems through streamlined gender responsive, and well managed sweetpotato breeding programs in Africa.

Project/Donor: Sweetpotato Genetic Advances and Innovative Seed Systems (SweetGAINS) / The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)

This project aims to improve the incomes of rural households and contribute to food security by developing and promoting improved sesame varieties that meet the demand for farmers, consumers and producers in Niger. Expected outputs/outcomes include: farmers’ preferred sesame cultivars traits are identified; improved sesame varieties are available; and capacity building of the research team enhanced.

Project/Donor: Sesame improvement for shattering resistance in semi-arid conditions of Niger / The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

This project intends to carry out the fortification of pearl millet and disseminate to farmers to improve nutrition of poor resource farm families. Germplasm of 110 dauro pearl millet with yellow endosperm that were collected by LCRI across Northern Nigeria in 2011 will be used for this purpose. The evaluation and selection of the varieties will be conducted together with farmers (men and women), seed companies, retailers and all actors involved in the value chain to promote the acceptance and adoption of these new varieties.

Project/Donor: Accelerated Varietal Improvement and seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) / The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)

The primary objective of the study is to transfer new improved soybean seeds to the rural farming households in the study area for adoption for planting. It has been recorded that this new breed grows faster and yields more bean seeds when properly managed. Therefore the adoption of this new soybean will increase their production which in turn will translate to increased income.

Project/Donor: Tropical Soybean TGx / Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria

The project aims to improve groundnut production through: the identification of farmers preferences; and the evaluation of and release of groundnut promising lines. The expected outputs are: farmers’ production constraints and varietal preferences known; released varieties are widely adopted in most groundnut producing area; and, groundnut production increase in Togo.

Project/Donor: Enhancing the genetic potential of peanut production in West Africa / The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The objective of this training project is to enable us attain knowledge and skills for developing gender responsive tools that we can use in research and training. This knowledge and skills will help us to understand the dynamism involved in communities we serve and as such develop technologies that meet the needs of stakeholders thus reducing costs incurred by farmers to adopt new technologies.

Project/Donor: Busitema University, Uganda

The project’s main objective is to reduce the malnutrition burden among smallholder farming communities in the drought prone areas of East Africa. The specific objectives are to: characterize current mungbean production systems and prevailing constraints; evaluate advanced mungbean lines for iron content and other nutrients; strengthen mungbean seed production and delivery systems, and develop and promote efficient processing and utilization methods.

Project/Donor: Development and deployment of iron dense mungbean genotypes for nutrition security in the drought prone areas of East Africa (Mung4- Fe) / African Union Commission

The project’s primary objective is to improve adaptation to climate change and enhance food and nutrition security to resource-poor farmers in Uganda. Expected outputs are new varieties generated from the Multilateral System (MLS) and national gene banks, materials tested and disseminated, and Community Seed Banks (CSB), with supporting local seed network established.

Project/Donor: Promoting open source seed systems for beans, forage legumes, millet and sorghum for climate change adaptation in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda / Benefitsharing fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Using the genomic tools to accelerate the development dual purpose cowpea varieties with multiple stress tolerance for improved food and nutritional severity. In Uganda, cowpea is cultivated for seed, vegetable and forage by small holder farmers who are mostly women. The traits of focus include high yield, leaf traits, scab disease, drought and heat tolerance.

Project/Donor: The Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project (ACE II) / The World Bank and the Government of Uganda

Project/Donor: Improving Bean Production and Marketing in Africa / Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

The TAAT programme aims to enhance national wheat production. It employs the valuechain approach to achieve a widespread transformative impact in terms of productivity and farmer capacity, farmers’ income, seed systems, climate resilience, job creation, value addition, participation of poor men, women, youths and the disabled; all leading towards attaining higher levels of wheat self-sufficiency

Project/Donor: Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) Zimbabwe Wheat Compact / African Development Bank (AfDB)

The ZAKIS project has a mandate of strengthening collaboration of three departments: research, extension and education. Small grain breeding and promotion is one initiative adopted to disseminate research findings in a collaborative manner at identified centers of excellence in Zimbabwe. Expected outputs include increased production and productivity of small grains for sustainable food security.

Project/Donor: Zimbabwe Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (ZAKIS) / The European Union