Crop improvement and poverty reduction in Africa: The role of plant breeding

Economies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are facing significant challenges related to food insecurity and low agricultural output. Increasing crop productivity and diversity is vital to achieving food security across the continent. Policymakers in SSA recognize plant breeding as a key solution to boosting crop yields. Over the past decade, the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) in Ghana has made significant investments in plant breeding training initiatives. These initiatives aim to improve African crops in local environments to benefit farmers across the continent. To encourage further investments, it is essential to measure the tangible impact of these breeding activities. Scholars from Brunel Business School (BBS) and WACCI have taken the first step in this direction by initiating a study to evaluate the gains from plant breeding outputs. This study seeks to inspire professionals in the sub-region to deliver improved crop varieties to farmers. Through workshops and seminars, scholars from BBS and WACCI will engage with farmers and other stakeholders who have utilized plant-bred cultivars to explore their experiences and successes. Two workshops will be organized in Ghana—one in Tamale (Northern Ghana) and the other in Accra (Southern Ghana). This project created a unique collaborative opportunity for knowledge exchange between scholars from both institutions and farmers. Additionally, scholars from both institutions identified novel research gaps within the proposed research area, providing a foundation for future grant applications.

People

	Name	Telephone	Email	Office
	Dr David Botchie Divisional Lead - Global Management / Reader in Sustainability Global Value Chains (Principal investigator) T: +44 (0)1895 265945 E: david.botchie@brunel.ac.uk	+44 (0)1895 265945	david.botchie@brunel.ac.uk	Eastern Gateway 104i