Lasting Support Guaranteed for the Conservation of Sub-Saharan Africa’s Crop Diversity
IITA's genebank, Genetic Resources Center, houses the world’s largest collection of cowpea. Photo: Tchamba Marimagne/IITA
7 September 2023
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 7 September 2023 – The future of some of Africa’s most beloved staple crops, including important legumes, will be secured this week, following the signing of a Long-term Partnership Agreement between the Crop Trust and CGIAR Research Center, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), at the Africa Food Systems Summit.
Through this landmark partnership, the Crop Trust commits to providing a guaranteed source of funding for IITA’s genebank, the Genetic Resources Center, in perpetuity. This funding will cover the essential operations needed for the conservation and distribution of over 36,000 varieties of key sub-Saharan African food crops, such as maize, Bambara groundnut and African yam bean, including the world’s largest collection of cowpea.
Read the full press release
Categories: For The Press, Genebanks, Bambara Groundnut, Cowpea, Maize, Food Security