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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. These included efforts towards enhancing the bi-innovations ecosystem, advancing science communication and diplomacy, fostering policy and regulatory clarity, creating responsive platforms for knowledge sharing and multi-stakeholders engagement. Thanks to our collective dedication, we have achieved remarkable milestones.
In Kenya, we celebrated the regulatory clearance for Striga Smart Sorghum for Africa to proceed as conventionally bred varieties. This pivotal decision culminated in the planting of the first stewarded field trials in April 2024, which have demonstrated promising results, offering a glimmer of hope to smallholder farmers battling the devastating parasitic weed, Striga.
We also witnessed a historic win when Kenya's High Court dismissed a petition against lifting the 12-year ban on GMOs. This victory was bolstered by our steadfast commitment to providing factual information through strategically convening multi-stakeholders, including engaging legal professionals. We hosted five rapid-response meetings to address the GMO court hearing. These engagements exemplify our ability to respond swiftly to emerging challenges while maintaining focus on fostering partnerships and driving shared goals. Additionally, Burkina Faso came back to the list of GM crop-adopting countries with approval for cultivation of Bt cotton hybrids from 2024 to 2033.
Recognizing the shifting biosciences landscape, we broadened our scope and diversified our efforts in 2024, achieving notable progress. Our knowledge translation efforts saw the re-launch of the Africa Science Dialogue portal and podcast. We continued to serve the information needs of diverse stakeholders through our signature knowledge products, including our monthly e-newsletter the DrumBeat, short videos, information briefs and journal publications. These initiatives ensured timely dissemination of information to diverse audiences, enhancing accessibility and impact. We are also working towards reviving our signature Annual Brief on status of biotech and biosafety in response to your requests, through integration of current ICT trends such as AI. We look forward to digitizing the region's biotech progress through interactive data visualized formats in the coming year.
In science communication and diplomacy, we trained over 1,000 stakeholders from 14 African countries, empowering early career scientists to participate effectively in global negotiations. Our active engagement at COP16, the World One Health Congress and other forums brought Africa's voice to the forefront of critical discussions, ensuring that biosciences and One Health solutions remain priorities on the global agenda.
AfriCenter's unique ability to convene multi-stakeholder platforms, provided opportunities to tackle broader agricultural and biosciences issues. Multi-stakeholder dialogues on crop protection products facilitated under the Africa Science Dialogue initiative served as critical spaces for combating misinformation and building trust. Furthermore, we hosted a thematic webinar on International Women's Day 2024, showcasing the integral role of women in advancing biosciences. By leveraging these platforms, we have not only amplified diverse voices but also strengthened collaboration across sectors, paving the way for sustainable progress.
We continued to champion policy and regulatory clarity by fostering collaboration with regional bodies like COMESA, and providing advisory support to key policymakers, such as members of the East Africa Legislative Assembly, as well as the private sector. These efforts, geared towards reinforcing predictable systems, are expected to inspire confidence in emerging bio-innovations across the continent.
Enhancing the bi-innovations ecosystem has been a cornerstone of our efforts in 2024, as we continue to empower bio-entrepreneurs and drive innovation across Africa. This year, we established mentorship programs and provided platforms for innovators to pitch their ideas in a bid to support growth of their ventures. Our collaboration with the Iowa State University (ISU) Startup Factory and initiatives like the Enzyme Manufacturing Masterclass (EMM), in partnership with Beneficial Bio Ltd, advanced this mission, with EMM expanding in Kenya and cascading to Ethiopia. A highlight of these efforts was a pitching event at a World Food Prize side-event, where one of the ISU Startup Factory beneficiaries emerged a winner, showcasing the tangible impact of international partnerships. These initiatives underscore our commitment to building a robust bio-innovation ecosystem that fosters job creation and economic growth.
Looking ahead, 2025 presents an exciting opportunity to deepen our impact. The African Biennial Biosciences Communication Symposium (ABBC 2025), to be held in Accra, Ghana, from August 26 - 28, will tackle the growing menace of misinformation and disinformation. This theme aligns with our commitment to building trust and transparency around biosciences, ensuring that innovation is not derailed by unfounded fears. ABBC 2025 will provide an opportunity for reflecting and co-creating solutions towards making disinformation a losing strategy, by reimagining the future! We look forward to your continued support towards making ABBC2025 a resounding success! For enquiries on how to participate, send an email to: abbcsecretariat@isaaa.org
In the coming year, ISAAA AfriCenter will forge new partnerships to expand its footprint, ensuring that our work continues to respond to Africa's evolving needs. These collaborations, which I invite you to be a part of, will be instrumental in scaling our initiatives and driving lasting change.
As we celebrate our 2024 achievements, I want to acknowledge the incredible dedication of our team, exceptional board, partners, and our fans and supporters. Your passion fuels our progress, and your trust sustains our vision. Together, we are making a lasting impact on Africa's agricultural and scientific landscape.
As the curtain falls on 2024, I extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May the festive season bring joy, rest, and inspiration for the journey ahead. Here's to a prosperous 2025 filled with renewed hope and boundless opportunities.
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