Bioscience should underpin African agriculture

Seyoum Leta, Bio-Innovate Program Manager

(photo credit: ILRI/Apollo Habtamu).

25-27 February. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Agricultural and biosciences scientists who met at the 1st Bio-Innovate Regional Scientific Research Conference, last month, say that using bioscience in East Africa could bring about socioeconomic transformation. (source: SciDev 26 March 2013)

For instance, in Uganda, tannery and slaughter wastes are being turned into manure for crop production and clean water. Other innovations include the production of drought-resistant seed varieties that are suitable to specific agriecological areas.

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The Bio-resources Innovations Network for Eastern Africa Development (Bio-Innovate) Program was established in 2010 to support multidisciplinary biosciences and product-based innovation activities in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

It currently supports nine biosciences innovation and policy consortium projects, bringing together 57 partnering institutions from across the six countries and outside the region.