www.iita.org

Who we are

Our research for development activities have delivered over 70% of the CGIAR's positive impact on the food security and livelihoods of over 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

www.iita.org

www.iita.org

“Africa is the 2nd largest continent, but the least industrialized.” - FAO

“75% of the world’s poor continue to depend on agriculture for the foreseeable future.” - DFID

“There are 48 researchers/million sub-Saharan Africans compared to 3,000/million people in OECD countries.” - UNESCO 2005.

“To reduce extreme poverty and hunger, we should produce more food in a way that creates wealth and addresses producer risks.” - IITA

R4D context

www.iita.org

Where we are

Our R4D activities reach approximately 85% of national systems in Africa.

www.iita.org

We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture.

What we do

www.iita.org

Agriculture and Health

Poor food quality risks health, restricts trade, and reduces labor productivity of millions of people in Africa.

We improve diets, health, and productivity through research on micronutrient content, food toxins, and nutrient patterns.

R4D programs

We help ensure that young and old Africans alike enjoy and benefit

from high-quality, nutritious food and food crops.

Photo by IITA.

www.iita.org

Agrobiodiversity

Africa’s biodiversity is rich but vulnerable.

We use biotechnology and new diagnostic tools for the efficient, long-term conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of staple and underutilized crops and non-plant organisms.

A genebank scientist checking in vitro culture-conserved seedlings of banana landraces we use in our breeding program to produce hybrids. Photo by IITA.

www.iita.org

Opportunities and Threats

Food security and livelihoods in Africa face many risks.

We examine and analyze the environmental, social and economic dynamics that affect food security and livelihoods, and develop strategic plans to manage them.

Selling maize in a market. Better planning result in

better economic opportunities. Photo by IITA

www.iita.org

Banana and Plantain

Banana and plantain yields have been declining in Africa.

We enhance knowledge on the crops’ agroecology, develop new varieties and improve the quality and variety of plantain-based food products to promote their productivity and profitability.

Harvesting a bunch from an IITA-developed hybrid

TMH3x 9187s-8. Photo by IITA.

www.iita.org

Cereals and Legumes

Cereals and legumes are important to many households in Africa, but production is unstable.

We develop and disseminate improved varieties, natural resource management approaches and new production technologies to enhance and sustain productivity.

A soybean trader at one of the many farmers’

markets in Nigeria. Photo by IITA.

www.iita.org

Roots and Tubers

Roots and tubers such as cassava and yam are produced and consumed by most people in Africa, but face many threats.

We reduce pre- and postharvest losses, increase productivity, and improve processing technologies, marketing and profitability.

Using her mobile phone, a trader obtaining current

market prices of yam through the Market

Information System we established. Photo by IITA.

www.iita.org

Horticulture and Tree Crops

Vegetables and tree crops support the income of Africa’s rural poor.

We develop and promote production and postharvest technologies that sustain productivity and increase incomes in socially and environmentally responsible ways.

A cocoa farmer-beneficiary of our Sustainable Tree

Crops Program (STCP). Photo by IITA.

www.iita.org

Systemwide Program on Integrated Pest Management

Pests cause high crop losses and reduce quality of agricultural produce.

We coordinate and participate in the CGIAR System-wide Program on Integrated Pest Management (SP-IPM) which develops knowledge and technologies that responsibly tackle crop pests.

Cassava green mite being attacked by a predator.

Photo by IITA.

www.iita.org

IITA’s research-for-development model