Role of Regional Research Initiatives D. KYETERE DG NARO Uganda

Role of Regional Research Initiatives Outline Examples of regional projects Major themes of the regional projects Challenges of regional initiatives Benefits of regional initiatives

ASARECA’S Agrobiodiversity and biotechnology programme Projects in ECA Project/ participating countriesObjective Establishment of Cassava Genetic Transformation Project/ Ken, Tz and Ug. Enhanced productivity, value-added and competitiveness of cassava Applying Tissue Culture to Improve Access to Cassava and S/Potato Clean Planting Materials for Farmers in Eastern and Central Africa/ Burundi, Congo DR., Eth, Ken, Mad, Rwanda, TZ and Ug. Enhanced sustainable productivity, value added and competitiveness of cassava and sweetpotato Conservation for Sustainable Availability of Cassava and S/Potato germplasm through Biotechnology Applications / Burundi, D.R C., Eth, Ken, Rwanda, Tz and Ug, Sudan Enhanced sustainable productivity, value added and competitiveness of cassava and sweetpotato Genetic Engineering of Maize for Drought Tolerance in Eastern and Central Africa / Ethiopia, Ken, Tz, Ug and Sudan To develop and avail drought tolerant engineered maize genotypes adapted to ECA Fighting Striga - Resistance Genes Deployed to Boost Sorghum Productivity / Ken, Eritrea, and Sudan Enhanced sustainable productivity, value added and competitiveness of the semi-arid zones of ECA Diagnostic and Control Tools and Strategies for Taenia solium cysticercosis / DR. C, Bur, Ken, Eth, Eritrea, Ug Enhanced sustainable productivity, value added and competitiveness of pig Integrating Agro-diversity with Conservation to Improve Livelihoods in Savannah Ecosystem / Ken, TZ Enhanced sustainable productivity, value added and competitiveness of the Savannah Ecosystem Transfer of Banana Tissue Culture Technology to Small-scale Farmers/ Ken, Tz Enhanced sustainable productivity, value added and competitiveness of

The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Project The Project is part of the DTMA Initiative Supported by the BMGF & Howard G. Buffet Foundation to accelerate drought tolerant maize development and deployment in 13 countries where maize is the most important and drought routinely occurs. Other countries are expected to benefit indirectly eg by releasing and growing maize varieties from the Project in their own country Rationale Developing, distributing, and cultivating drought tolerant maize varieties is a highly relevant intervention (in the face of climate change) to reduce vulnerability, food insecurity and the damage to local markets accompanying food aid in SSA. Project builds on an established partnership between CIMMYT, IITA, NARIs in SSA countries, advanced research institutions, private sector seed companies, NGOs, and CBOs. Draws on expertise of advanced research institutions e.g Cornell University, University of Hohenheim.

Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) Project seeks to To improve drought tolerance of African maize by: – combining the benefits of Monsanto’s molecular, genomics and biotechnology platforms, CIMMYT’s breeding program and adapted maize varieties, AATF’s expertise in product stewardship, regulatory affairs management and technology delivery, and national institutions’ capacity for testing multiplying and distributing new varieties. To develop capacity within national and international product development teams to conduct risk assessment and prepare safety data dossiers for submission to regulatory authorities to authorize confined field testing of the drought tolerance trait. Communication Component: To ensure public awareness and consumer acceptance of maize lines resulting from the project, to test this maize in five SSA and to develop incentives for its rapid deployment to needy smallholder farmers

BioInnovate A new multidisciplinary competitive funding mechanism for biosciences and product orientated innovation activities in Eastern Africa. Runs a Competitive Grants Scheme (CGS) targeted at research in four thematic areas chosen to support the AU/NEPAD agenda for science, technology and agriculture: Components 1: Climate change adaptability, productivity and improvement for food and nutrition security 2: Waste treatment, bio-energy for renewable bio-resources, and securing freshwater resources 3: Innovation incubation and promotion of targeted value chains 4: Bio-resource innovation policy and sustainability analysis Follows an innovation systems approach; a lesson from the preceding BIO-EARN Program (developmental activities need to be devised and implemented within innovation systems).

Great lakes initiative BMGF provided a $21.8 million grant CRS and its partners to help more than 1 million farm families protect cassava in Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Another $500,000 from a private CRS donor provides additional staff support. The project expects to re-establish healthy fields across the region, resulting in more reliable food supplies and increased income." Partnering at all Levels Farmers are also growing and evaluating 50 new cassava varieties to determine which are best suited for local conditions for bulking and distribution. Already, the project is seeing success, with some regions having returned to their original levels of cassava production.

Biotech applications to combat CBSD-Gates, Ug, Tz, IITA, BeCA An alliance to fight CBSD by collaborating in the development of diagnostic and surveillance techniques to better identify, track and study the spread and impact of this destructive disease. Strategies to accelerate development, production and dissemination of resistant cassava material to at-risk farmers will also be tackled.

SASHA Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA) is a 5 year Project designed to improve food security and livelihoods of poor families in Sub- Saharan Africa by exploiting the untapped potential of sweetpotato

Food and nutrition security Energy availability Climate change adaptation Increased income Major themes of the regional projects

Challenges of regional initiatives Regional initiatives require new funding modalities e.g by the World Bank, regional development banks and bilateral development partners. Buy-in and financial support of individual governments of all the countries participating in regional networks will be essential.

Tapping of existing expertise Bringing together critical masses of researchers and students in selected areas for research and training Reaping economies of scale by sharing technologies and information Regional research initiatives can link researchers who are professionally isolated BENEFITS OF REGIONAL INITIATIVES

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