Key AfriCenter Projects

The center currently has three main projects, including:

TC banana project

This project is aimed at delivering clean, tissue cultured banana plantlets to farmers in Africa. The plantlets can more than double production and signifi cantly enhance the income of resource-poor farmers, many of whom are women. It is contributing signifi cantly in poverty reduction among rural farming communities in Africa. In recognition of its achievements, the project was awarded the first prize for its outstanding contributions to research and development in a 2000 medal award competition sponsored by the Global Development Network, an Institute of the World Bank and the Government of Japan. The upscaling of adoption of this new technology is being done in partnership with organizations that have experience and capacity in micro-propagation, extension, micro-credit, value-addition and marketing.

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Tree Biotechnology Project (TBP)

This multi-purpose tree project focuses on production and diffusion of Eucalyptus, Grevilliea, Acacia and Mellia volkensii.

It provides farmers with faster growing trees that can increase the supply of urgently needed wood for fuel, fencing, and animal feed in deforested rural areas. For example, Kenya has only 1.7% forest cover, which is far below the 10% recommended by FAO. Some of the eucalyptus clones grow three times faster than conventional ones. Mondi Forest of South Africa donated the improved germplasm and technology for propagation.

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Communications Project

Dynamic and proactive communications are essential parts of our work on all aspects of biotechnology.

Our communications project is implemented through the Eastern and Central Africa Biotechnology Information Center (ECABIC). ECABIC is one of the ISAAA global networks of Biotechnology Information Centers (BICs),affi liated to the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology (KC). Its mandates are to facilitate biotechnology awareness creation, knowledge sharing and capacity building through cutting-edge communications strategies.

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Strengthening Strategic Alliances

The ISAAA AfriCenter believes in building strategic alliances that help to deliver more benefi ts to small-scale farming communities in Africa.

Partnerships are built and maintained with: Development partners (Farm Africa, The Rockefeller Foundations, USAID, IDRC, KAPP, etc); UN agencies (UNESCO, UNDP, FAO, UNECA-SDD); Private and public foundations, associations (such as Danforth Foundation, ABSF, AATF, FARA, ASARECA); Pivotal countries that are advanced in biotech R&D and leading in adoption (South Africa, India, USA, Kenya, Burkina Faso); International and national agricultural research centers (KARI, NARO, SARI, INERA); the CGIAR centers (CIMMYT, IITA, ILRI, CIP, INCRISAT, IPGRI etc); Universities; Private sector companies; Farmer groups (National Cotton Stakeholders Forum-Kenya); and the Mass media, etc.

Since its inception, ISAAA AfriCenter has built useful international networks that positively interact to keep Africa on the fast lane on biotechnology issues.

Our involvement in international fora helps to ensure that Africans are engaged, informed, and able to decide on all issues related to biotechnology.