News
High Iron and zinc beans: The new panacea for malnutrition in Zimbabwe
by Eileen Nchanji and Bruce Mutari Most rural households in Zimbabwe are vulnerable from multiple climatic shocks, cash shortages, price changes,...
Fusing Agri-business with creative arts: An alternative source of livelihood
By Dr. Eileen Nchanji Climate is changing, but governments are doing very little to prepare farmers to deal with these changes. Most times...
Mastercard partners with USADF, CIAT to open up new opportunities for smallholder farmers across Africa
CIAT and USADF provide funding and support for award-winning Mastercard solution Kampala, Uganda July 10, 2019 - Mastercard has today announced the...
Empowering women entrepreneurs to feed the nation
A case of Ms. Christella Ndayishimye from Burundi The political unrest that rocked Burundi in 2015 plunged the country into a crisis of displaced...
Breeding better crops for home and for export
New crop varieties are driving growth in Ethiopian agricultural markets. Specially bred beans already earn the country valuable export income. The...
Healthier and Prosperous Africa: ‘AVISA’ Project launched for faster agriculture gains in seven countries
Tanzanian Minister for Agriculture calls for more public-private collaboration Greater yields, higher incomes, and improved livelihoods – these will...
CBI bags presidential award for the first bio fortified beans in Zimbabwe
As the world celebrated love, Crop Breeding Institute (CBI), was celebrating beans after receiving a prestigious award by the government of Zimbabwe...
Precooked beans set to reach more households in Africa
When the first phase of Cultivate Africa’s Future (CultiAF) project came to an end in 2016, it was clear that a larger scale production and...
Beans boosting nutrition and keeping Kenyan students in school
Bean production initiative at Mwireri Secondary School started in 2017 with a small demonstration to assess the suitability of two varieties for the...
Policymakers at the center of High Iron Bean promotion in Kenya
Policymakers at the center of High Iron Bean promotion in Kenya The Big 4 Agenda is at the heart of the President of Kenya, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta’s...
Promoting Nutrition Transformative Change through gender in Kenya
by Eileen Bogweh Nchanji, Scholastica Wambua, and Jacinta Simba Empowering a woman is empowering a nation, but empowering a family is...
Sustainable economic, food and nutrition for a better Africa.
The Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), is a consortium of three regional bean research networks; East & Central Africa Bean Research...
Super Flour to boost nutrition in Uganda
Nutreal Ltd together with the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) Legumes Programme launched a nutrient dense porridge targeting low...
Sensitization on Gender-responsive nutrition in rural Uganda: A community approach
By Eileen Bogweh Nchanji and Grace Nanyonjo 'Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.' Women empowerment is cited...
Technologies for Agricultural Transformation in High Iron Bean in Africa
We recently kicked off inception meetings in eight target countries for Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Programme. TAAT...
Digital Innovation: The way forward for women smallholder bean farmers
Beans are grown by millions of farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa many of whom are women. They are grown mainly for consumption and only sold when the...
Improved high-iron and zinc bean varieties for better nutrition
Two bean varieties were recently launched in Arusha, Tanzania. These high iron and zinc climbing varieties of beans scientifically known as MAC44 -...
Women drink like our fathers and do not cook like our mothers: deconstructing leisure activities in rural-urban Kenya
By Eileen Nchanji Being in Kenya for barely three months, I was still grasping with the different ways in which gender plays out in the office and...
The Kenya Academic Year of the Bean
On a Thursday afternoon, a group of 38 students of Mwireri Secondary School, Mweiga Nyeri are busy in school farm with their agriculture and head...
How to empower, not to dis-empower
By Eileen Nchanji Gender equality is a buzzword not only tied to the agricultural and development sector but also in the entertainment and business...
Creating a revolution in bean production in Mwireri, Nyeri
One evening in October 2017 as a discussion over a cup of tea in a restaurant in Nairobi, Yosam Mugarura, and Mr. Nahashon Kariuki, the Chair of...