The African Agricultural Research, Innovation, and Education Institutions (AARIEIs)

9 April 2025. To scale up research on food and nutrition security on the continent, several African agricultural organizations have formed an umbrella body called the African Agricultural Research, Innovation, and Education Institutions (AARIEIs).

The new umbrella body has been founded by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), the West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Center for Coordination of Agricultural Research for Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA), the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), the North Africa Sub Regional Organization (NASRO) and the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS). AARIEIs is expected to help them improve their linkages on research, extension and higher education.

• On climate change, the partnership plans to focus on joint research in crop and livestock breeding, soil health, regenerative and digital agriculture as part of strengthening collaborative research for sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural technologies.
• It will also have a joint development of climate-smart innovations, nature-positive agroecology, AI-driven precision agriculture, big data analytics, and policy-oriented research for food security and sustainable investment.
• It will emphasize technology transfer and scaling for impact, capacity sharing and development, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and resource mobilization in ensuring that Africa becomes self-sufficient in food production.
• AARIEIs will also establish regional innovation hubs and strengthen private sector linkages and ensure that agricultural technologies reach their intended users.
• It will also promote community-driven technology adaptation, delivery and extension services throughout Sub Saharan Africa (SSA).

At the CGIAR Science Week, the African Agricultural Research, Innovation & Education Institutions (AARIEI) signed a Partnership Engagement Framework with the CGIAR to foster research, innovation, capacity building, and impact-driven solutions to support Africa’s agricultural transformation. 

• The two organizations now have a guiding structure to strengthen collaboration that is expected to foster strategic partnerships, knowledge exchange, and joint innovation efforts.
• It will help enhance partnerships between CGIAR and AARIEIs for joint research, innovation, and policy influence, and also align development agenda with the AU Agenda 2063, CAADP-Kampala Strategy, CGIAR 2025-2030 research strategy, and regional agricultural policies.
• The organization aims to drive a culture shift toward more equal and healthy partnerships for capacity sharing between and among CGIAR and partners advancing food, land, and water systems transformation.

Emphasis will also be put on enhancing research infrastructure within AARIEIs, fostering South-South collaboration and peer learning, and expanding digital learning and open knowledge platforms to facilitate information sharing and skill development.

Related:

11 April 2025. Strengthening Africa’s Seed Systems: AU Calls for Harmonisation and South–South Cooperation.

At the recently concluded CGIAR Science Week side event titled “Breeding for Tomorrow: Inclusive Delivery,” Ms Beatrice Egulu from the African Union Commission (AUC) delivered a compelling address, advocating for deeper continental integration and innovation in seed systems to ensure equitable access and regional impact. The high-level panel session, held at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, brought together prominent voices from the African agricultural sector under the theme of “Inclusive Delivery”, a strategic framework aimed at transforming breeding programmes for greater reach, uptake, and farmer impact.

Ms Egulu highlighted the disparity between promising regional frameworks—such as the COMESA Variety Catalogue, ECOWAS seed regulations and SADC’s Harmonised Seed Regulatory System – and their actual implementation. Despite protocols for mutual recognition, numerous African countries continue to impose redundant variety testing, outdated national laws, and limited regulatory capacity, thereby hindering access to improved varieties.

South-South Cooperation (SSC): A Strategic Pathway to Scale

Discussing the significance of South–South Cooperation, Ms Egulu described it as a cornerstone for democratizing agricultural innovation in Africa. She noted that SSC facilitates the exchange of technologies and institutional best practices—from East African seed traceability systems inspired by Asia to participatory breeding models adapted across African regions.

“SSC is not just a tool. It is a pathway to shared sovereignty and resilience in seed systems.”

To institutionalise these gains, she called for:

• Integrating the SSC into the African Seed and Biotechnology Programme (ASBP) and the framework of the CAADP-Kampala Declaration.
• Utilising triangular cooperation to mobilise financial and technical support.
• Mainstreaming SSC within broader frameworks such as STISA-2024 and the African Agribusiness Strategy.