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Published on
17.09.24
Over 70 IITA staff met in Malawi to strategize and plan to respond to challenges undermining the transformation of agrifood systems in Southern Africa. Southern African countries did not receive adequate rains in 2023/24 production systems and harvested below average yield, constraining household purchasing capacity and causing high levels of poverty and food insecurity.
The week-long retreat, with the theme ‘Thriving together,’ brought participants from Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia who form the IITA Southern Africa Research and Administration Hub (SARAH). The primary goal of the retreat was to finalize the hub’s strategy framework while fostering team connections through team-building activities and a town hall meeting.
In his opening remarks, SARAH Director David Chikoye emphasized the need for the refreshed IITA 2024-2030 strategy to be result-oriented and fully aligned with partners’ research and development agenda. The refreshed IITA research strategy aims to effectively deliver innovations that will transform African agricultural food systems. He also stated that the hub research portfolio must be well-defined and aligned to national and regional agricultural needs and priorities.