Africa Urged to Tap Indigenous Crops for Food, Nutrition, and Environmental Security

4-7 August 2025. A weeklong meeting was held on orphan crops in higher education for accelerated climate change solutions in Africa (ORPHAN) Project. It was organized under the  European Union supported Intra-Africa mobility for high skilled scientists and entrepreneurs 

• ORPHAN (2024-2027) is funded by the Intra-Africa Program of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission (2022 - 2027).  
• ORPHAN proposes to increase skills and qualifications of current and future professionals and practitioners in the consortium countries in orphan crops as solutions to climate change. 
• ORPHAN focuses on Ten priority underutilized crops:

• Côte d'Ivoire: Taro, Bambara groundnut, wild custard apple Annona senegalensis, Amaranth, Amaranthus hybridus
• Benin: Taro, Bambara groundnut, Mungbean
• Kenya: African nightshade (Solanum scabrum & villosum), Finger millet, Jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius), Vine spinach (Basella alba & rubrum)
• Nigeria: Yam, Bambara Groundnut, Sesame, Amaranth
• Zimbabwe: Finger millet, Taro, Bambara Groundnuts, Sesame, Cowpeas, Amaranth

See overview of all the projects under the Intra-Africa Scholarships.

Prof. Koffi (second left) presents Oprhna Project information materials to JKUAT Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Robert Kinyua.

Leading scientists and agricultural experts have challenged African countries to adopt African traditional crops and vegetables as cornerstones of food, nutrition, and environmental security across the continent. The clarion call was made during a high level workshop at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology on Wednesday August 6, 2025. The workshop that brought together experts from five African countries and Belgium, underscored the critical role of indigenous crops in addressing malnutrition, climate change, and sustainable agricultural development in Africa

Africa is home to a vast array of underutilized crops—often termed “orphan crops”—such as African eggplant, Bambara groundnut, fonio, and spider plant. These crops, deeply rooted in African diets and cultures, are naturally resilient to drought, pests, and environmental stresses, making them vital allies in the face of climate change. The commodities are also effective agents in combating drought and soil degradation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through plant-based diets.

“The crops high nutritional profiles address malnutrition, while their local availability supports economic growth and social development. There is a limited research on orphan crops, lack of standardized cultivation techniques, and barriers to market integration require innovative solutions. I encourage this workshop to explore multidisciplinary approaches, to integrate orphan crops into farming systems, develop processing techniques for value addition, and promote consumer awareness to drive demand,” Prof. Robert Kinyua JKUAT Acting Vice Chancellor

With 31 of 36 countries facing high hidden hunger indices located in Africa, malnutrition remains a pressing challenge. Orphan crops, rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, offer a sustainable solution to combat stunting and micronutrient deficiencies

Orphan Project team intercats with JKUAT students, and staff during the workshop

ORPHAN Project Coordinator, Prof. Kévin Kouamé Koffi, from the University Nangui Abrogoua in Ivory Coast said that the four-year initiative launched in 2024, aims to train a new generation of scientists on neglected crops, with a key objective to improve food security in Africa.

Prof. Koffi revealed that so far, 11 PhD and seven masters students have been enrolled in the five participating countries, bring the total number of beneficiaries to 18.

The Coordinator added that the Project also aims to foster national, regional, and international collaboration, in order to improve visibility and impact of orphan crops and position Africa as a global leader in sustainable agriculture.

The workshop issued a clarion call to governments, private sectors, and development agencies to prioritize orphan crops in policy frameworks and value chains. Strategies discussed include improving seed access, enhancing marketability, and promoting consumer awareness to drive demand. These efforts aim to empower smallholder farmers, particularly women, who are the backbone of African agriculture, to increase yields and incomes while fostering environmental stewardship

ORPHAN project aims to advance research and innovation in orphan crops in Africa by training 12 high-profile PhD graduates, 32 MSc graduates, 10 academic staff and 10 trainees with skills in plant breeding, food technology and nutrition.

The Project’s implementing institutions are: 

1. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya
2. University Nangui Abrogoua (UNA), Ivory Coast
3. University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Benin
4. Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Nigeria
5. University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Zimbabwe
6. Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium.

Orphan Project team with JKUAT Management during the official opening of the workshop

Opportunity:

Deadline 06 August 2025: Second call for scholarship application for PhD, and MSc, Academic Staff and Trainees positions in the framework of the Intra Africa ORPHAN project 

Orphan crops have benefited from very limited modern scientific and technological advances. ORPHAN (Mobility for high skilled scientists and entrepreneurs on orphan crops in higher education for accelerated) Scholarship Program is an initiative of five highly qualified public universities from three African regions and one university in Europe to advance knowledge on orphan crops through digital agriculture. This Project is coordinated by University of Nangui Abrogoua (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire).

1. Train 12 high-profile PhD graduates, 32 MSc graduates, 10 academic staff and 10 trainees with skills in plant breeding, food technology and nutrition to address current and future challenges related to climate change and agrifood systems with a focus on promising orphan plant species of Africa;
2. Harmonize training programs and research agenda on the improvement of the value chain of orphan crops for food and nutrition security in Africa; 
3. Enhance national – regional – international collaboration and programmatic agenda that promotes orphan crops research and training for agricultural innovations in Africa through cross regional mobility.