This project is coordinated by CORAF and funded by the European Union as part of its “Developing intelligent innovation through research in agriculture (DeSIRA)” program.
More specifically, the ABEE project concerns five crops that are -on the one hand- essential to the food security of the ever-growing population and -on the other hand- very sensitive to climate change. These include cowpeas, groundnuts, millet, sorghum and fonio. The project hopes to reach over 40,000 direct beneficiaries in five years. Breeders will be able to generate and disseminate climate-resistant dry cereal varieties, capable of achieving high yields and improving food security in the three West African countries.
A knowledge base will be made available to researchers for better information on genetic selection programs, better equipment will be installed, and exchange and training programs will be strengthened. The private sector is also participating in this program in the form of public-private partnerships.
The project was launched on March 9 in Dakar. It brings together various partners with a proven track record in plant breeding in West Africa. They are the Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), AfricaRice / Integrated Breeding Platform, the Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles du Sénégal/Centre d'études régionales pour l'amélioration de l'adaptation à la sécheresse, the Institut de l'Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles du Burkina Faso (INERA) and the Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (INRAN) of Niger.
