In our Story of the Month , Dr. Daniel Ofosu, Country Coordinator of the Program for Biosafety Systems in Ghana, reflects on why access to reliable, centralized information matters for agricultural innovation in Africa and explores the potential of Biotech Africa to foster transparency, regional learning, and evidence-based decision-making.

This DrumBeat edition celebrates the growing momentum of science-inspired innovations that are strengthening livelihoods, protecting ecosystems and advancing climate-positive development across Africa. Across the continent, communities, scientists, policymakers and development partners are working together to build resilient societies and create sustainable solutions for future generations.

What does it take to move Africa’s research and innovation from the lab to the market? In this issue of The Drumbeat , we turn our focus to a critical but often overlooked piece of the puzzle – biosafety systems, and the loopholes that continue to delay the commercialisation of research across the continent. Although Africa has made significant progress in scientific research, translating these gains into tangible products has been a problem.

We talk about STISA 34, African Union's strategic framework for delivering on Africa's goal for inclusive and sustainable development, and we brood over climate change in Africa and how our response affects food security, taking into account recent developments, such as heavy rains pounding in East Africa and the devastating effects they have had in Nairobi. Building on STISA 24, the next phase (STISA 34) explores Africa's socio-economic excellence Kenya must rethink strategies to feed citizens as climate change rears ugly head once again.

Echoing this urgency, Mr. Joe Karuri, Chairperson of the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA), speaks exclusively to Drumbeat in our Video of the Month. He underscores the consequences of delayed adoption of biotech crops for cultivation, food, feed, and processing. Limited access to raw materials for feed manufacturing - often competing directly with human food needs- continues to strain livestock farmers and the broader value chain. His insights highlight the policy and supply challenges confronting the sector. Watch here.

As we step into the new year, we do so with renewed purpose, sharpened focus, and an unshaken commitment to advancing food security, planetary health, and science-led development across Africa. This month's Story of the Month sets the tone for what lies ahead. In a rallying call, the Director of ISAAA AfriCenter invites partners, stakeholders, and friends to gear up for another year of confronting misinformation, strengthening Africa's bio-innovation ecosystem, and amplifying scientific truth.

As 2025 draws to a close, we extend our sincere appreciation to our partners, collaborators, and stakeholders across Africa and beyond for walking with us through another defining year. It was a year marked by both urgency and opportunity – one in which science, policy, and society converged more visibly than ever to shape Africa’s bio-innovation future.

Storytelling is in our DNA, but few stories are as compelling as those where science and innovation shape our lives better. This is precisely the rhythm of the DrumBeat - capturing Africa's journey of ingenuity in the face of climate uncertainty. We kick off this edition with our Video of the Month unveiling a breakthrough in the battle against two devastating cassava diseases in eastern Africa: cassava brown streak disease and cassava mosaic disease.

We are, once again, swinging our swords to fell misinformation and grabbing our megaphones to amplify credible voices in the media landscape as conversations around health, science and information evolve at a rapid pace. These efforts are what this month's DrumBeat focuses on. Our Story of the Month takes us back to Lusaka, Zambia, where just two months ago we had the ABBC 2025 Symposium.

In the last issue, towards the end of August, we were anticipating our travel to Lusaka, Zambia for the 6th Africa Biennial Biosciences Communication (ABBC 2025) symposium. And travel we did. Our three days' discourse in the temperate Lusaka yielded quite exciting stories, some of which we share in this issue. There, we gathered arms that we believe will help us wage a winning battle against misinformation and disinformation, at a time when the world is grappling with these two dragons. We are called, we agreed, to move with speed.

This edition shines a spotlight on the upcoming 6th Africa Biennial Biosciences Communication (ABBC 2025) symposium. As we prepare to gather in Lusaka, Zambia, we turn our focus to a timely and pressing theme – “ The war on science: how can we overcome the burden of misinformation and disinformation? ” In a world grappling with information overload, science is under siege. Misinformation now ranks among the most severe global risks, threatening not just scientific progress but public trust.

Welcome to the latest edition of the DrumBeat newsletter, featuring powerful stories of scientific innovations driving - or poised to drive - transformation across Africa. This month's Video of the Month highlights Kenya's National Dialogue on Biotech Foods and Planetary Health, capturing powerful insights from government leaders, scientists and farmers. It underscores the transformative role of agricultural innovations in boosting food security and calls for increased public engagement on biotechnology.

The DrumBeat, continues to spotlight African excellence in science and innovation, guided by a commitment to relevance, responsiveness, and resilience. This month, we highlight the importance of soft skills training in building collaborative and community-centered leadership within the One Health ecosystem.

Warm greetings to our esteemed readers! At the DrumBeat, we remain committed to telling the African story of science and innovation with clarity, courage, and conviction. This month's issue carries expert voices and powerful perspectives on tackling emerging challenges and driving Africa to greatness through science. In our Video of the Month , leading experts unpack the growing menace of misinformation in science, exposing how false narratives derail innovation and influence policy decisions critical to Africa's future.

We had a brisk march through March, but it was pretty eventful. We made sure to record the finest moments of the month for you, and you are certainly in for a riveting read. Throughout the month, we had a series of webinars in which was discussed, alongside other critical topics, women in STEM (where we honoured notable trailblazers) and Africa's biotech journey (where we viewed the past decade through the lenses of The Africa Biennial Biosciences Communication (ABBC) symposium).

February usually has quite a number of important days to celebrate, and this was no different. We broke the rules and dangled our roses for women three days before the rest of the world, for the love of women in science. Let me explain. 11 th of February was The International Day of Girls and Women in Science. Three days later, we had Valentine’s. We could not wait to show love to the girls and women who are making, or have made, an impact in science in the continent. Our flowers came in early, thus, and we can justify it.

Fresh as it comes, the One Health landscape is already taking great shape with global alignment and lots of planning activities to address climate change impact such as increased droughts, emerging and re-emerging diseases, as well as resistance to antimicrobials. We are taken through a critical review of Africa’s drought challenge due to climate change in the story of the month . A rallying call to action from the author is a reminder that we need to reflect on the past as we prepare and plan to mitigate effects of climate change.

As we approach the end of another remarkable year, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the strides we have made together in 2024. This year has been a testament to our resilience, innovation, and unwavering commitment to our mission of transforming Africa’s biosciences landscape. When we began this year, we set out with bold ambitions.

We have experienced the COP 16 meeting (detailed here in issue 76), World One Health Day, World and Antimicrobial Awareness Week, among other days set to observe health related events within this month alone. In fact, from the 10th to 30th of November, there is a global health-related observation every 10 days! Let’s look at the highlight One Health events in store for us in this issue. Our video of the month features Afri Center’s support for Tanzania to advocate for One Health implementation.

In this month’s edition of The DrumBeat, we focus on the power of learning—how cross-continental insights shape our approaches to the future of agriculture, biodiversity, and policy-making. Each story embodies the essence of collaborative learning and shared purpose, showing us the potential of international experiences to inspire and drive change in Africa and beyond.

Warm greetings to our esteemed readers! We continue to bring you absorbing stories on Africa’s latest bioscience breakthroughs and cutting-edge innovations, as well as expert perspectives on leveraging science and technology to drive the continent forward. The DrumBeat ‘s commitment to contribute to our continent’s development through the power of science stories remains strong and resolute.

We are thrilled to present another edition highlighting the Feed the Future Striga Smart Sorghum for Africa ( SSSfA ). This collaborative, multi-institutional project in Kenya and Ethiopia leverages genome editing (GEd) technology to develop robust resistance against Striga , commonly known as ‘witchweed’, which poses a severe threat to sorghum and other cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa.

Welcome to this month’s edition of The Drumbeat. This month’s copy is a symphony of youthful cheerfulness, brimming with the insights and perspectives of our young advocates. We are excited to focus on a theme that resonates deeply with us: the voices of youth in the advocacy for bioinnovations. In an era where biotechnology holds significant promise for our future, the involvement of youth is crucial. This edition highlights the importance of their voices in shaping the discourse and advancing the adoption of biotechnological innovations.

The story of bioscience innovations and other scientific developments in Africa cannot be told engrossingly better than in the DrumBeat . In this month’s Issue, we bring you exclusive stories and insights on the importance of food safety for a food secure, healthier and prosperous Africa. We amplify key voices calling for a proactive approach in forestalling food safety incidents in line with the theme of this year’s World Food Safety Day which was celebrated on June 6.