Strengthening agricultural innovation through strategic collaboration: FAO and IITA explore new frontiers

In a bid to explore ways to strengthen collaboration between IITA and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rwanda, IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui, met with FAO Rwanda Country Representative Coumba Sow to discuss how their collaborative efforts could accelerate agricultural development in Africa.

The meeting featured a shared commitment to addressing challenges like food security, nutrition, plant health, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Sow acknowledged the strong and long-standing support from IITA. He also highlighted the FAO’s focus on improving lives through its “Better Life” programs, which emphasize inclusion, resilience, youth, and women empowerment. The FAO’s work extends to policy support, knowledge sharing, and capacity building to help governments design impactful agricultural investments. “We aim to provide governments with the tools they need to implement big, sustainable programs that focus on better nutrition and a better environment,” she explained.

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