Beans are a staple food and source of livelihood in Africa. Recognizing this, PABRA members comprising the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, NARS, and value chain actors aim to improve bean production and consumption. This innovative partnership brings together over 934 partners generating and deploying bean-related knowledge and technologies across 31 countries.

Register here for remote participation

This side event will celebrate 25 years of PABRA, highlighting approaches and solutions that have improved livelihoods and food security across sub-Saharan Africa. For instance, more than 37 million farmers (58.1% women) have accessed improved varieties resulting in a yield increase of about 36% in their farms. This has translated into business opportunities for over 277 SMEs commercializing bean-based products and providing markets to more than four million farmers.

Gathering voices from across the bean food chain, this side event will explore how we can build on PABRA’s success to double production and consumption of beans across the continent. This side event hopes to inspire bold action for beans over the next five years and beyond that will contribute to the building of resilient food systems.

Session 1. PABRA’s transformation journey: The session will highlight an efficient partnership model between CGIAR/National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems-NARES/Small and Medium-sized Enterprises-(SMEs), which promotes capacity development, linking demand-driven research to the end user. A special focus will be placed on innovative demand-led breeding approaches and partnerships that promote inclusive value chain transformation and entrepreneurship.

Session 2. PABRA’s impacts from research to investments platform: This session will share insights on how PABRA’s ‘commodity corridor’ approach increased the uptake of bean technologies and innovations and ultimately improved food and nutrition security, increased incomes and built resilient food systems.

Session 3. Setting an ambition for healthy people and planet: The session will aim to position beans as critical for healthy people and planet, a central solution to immediate and future needs such as cost-effective and nutritious school meals, as well as a sustainable food of the future.

Session 1: PABRA through the journey of transformation

Moderator: Rob Bertram (Chief Scientist USAID) – Rapporteurs: Teshale Mamo and Sylvia Kalemera

Time CAT Agenda Speaker
08:00 – 09:00 Arrival and registration of participants  
09:00 – 10:50 Introduction of the side event Josey Kamanda (Technology Transfer, Alliance- PABRA)
  Welcome Remarks Claudia Sadoff (Executive Managing Director, CGIAR)
  Keynote Address Michel Evéquoz (Directeur régional suppléant, SDC)
  Keynote Address Jeff Ehlers (Senior Program Officer, BMGF)
  Keynote Address Eric Huttner (Crop Research Manager, ACIAR)
  PABRA’s Evolution of Multi-institutional Partnerships & Impacts JC Rubyogo (Global Bean Program Leader and PABRA Director- Alliance of Biodiversity Inter. and CIAT) 
 

Panel Discussion: The evolution of multi-institutional partnerships for demand-led breeding

Moderated by Rob Bertram

Robin Buruchara (PABRA Alumnus)
Nasser Yao (Project Coordinator, Demand-Led Breeding)
Clare Mukankusi (Global Bean Breeding Lead)
Shylet Tsekenedza (Bean Breeder DR&SS, Zimbabwe)
Victor Luhanga (Seed Co, Malawi)
Gloria Phekani (MD Milele-Grain Trading Company, Malawi)
Enock Warinda (Executive Director, ASARECA)
  Launch of PABRA@25 Book JC Rubyogo (Global Bean Program Leader and PABRA Director- Alliance of Biodiversity Inter. and CIAT) 
10:50 – 11:20 Tea Break  

Session 2: Bean Research for Inclusive Impact

Moderator: Ruben Echeverria (Senior Advisor, BMGF) – Rapporteurs: Boaz Waswa and Robert Fungo

Time CAT Agenda Speaker
11:30 – 13:00 Opening Remarks Hon. Hussein Mohamed Bashe (Minister of Agriculture, United Republic of Tanzania)
  Keynote address Nalan Yuksel (Head of Cooperation for the Pan-African and Regional Development Programming, Global Affairs Canada)
  Keynote address Karangwa Patrick (Director General, RAB Rwanda)
  Impacts of the corridor approach and opportunities provided by the multistakeholder approaches Eliud Birachi (Market Economist, PABRA)
 

Panel Discussion: Bean Research for Inclusive Impacts

Moderated by Ruben Echeverria

 

Emma Uwera (I&J Harvest Ltd – Seed Enterprise, Rwanda)
Hellen Keti Ruto (Abosi Top Hill Farmers’ Cooperative, Kenya)
Alfred Chengula (Chief Operations Officer, Imara Tech Ltd, Tanzania)
Safina Mukagatete (MD, Aggregator Trust Rwanda Ltd.)
Christella Ndayishimiye (CEO Totahara Ltd, Burundi)
Barasa Mukhwana (Kenya Commercial Bank-Kenya)
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break  

Session 3: Beans is How: Setting an ambition for healthy people and planet

Moderator: Paul Newnham (SDG2Advocacy Hub) – Rapporteurs: Chilufya Chileshe and Rosie Cowper

Time CAT Agenda Speaker
14:00 – 16:00 Welcome and opening Paul Newnham (SDG2Advocacy Hub)
  Keynote address Juan Lucas Restrepo (Global Director for Partnerships & Advocacy, CGIAR)
  Keynote address Hon. Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana (Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Republic of Rwanda)
  High-level remarks: Sustained partnership with governments and development partners to meet new challenges JC Rubyogo (Global Bean Program Leader and PABRA Director- Alliance of Biodiversity Inter. and CIAT) 
 

Panel discussion – How to accelerate beans across the value chain: A discussion with diverse stakeholders on how to double beans consumption globally.

Moderated by Paul Newnham

 

Rose Mutuku (CEO, Smart Logistics Solutions, Kenya)
Chef Alejandra Shrader
Olusola Sotunde (Nutritionist – GAC)
Geoffrey Mkamilo (Director General, TARI, Tanzania)
 

Fireside chat – How to make beans more desirable: A discussion focused on the importance of maximizing media, to drive consumption behaviour change, with one international TV celebrity chef.

 

Moderated by Paul Newnham

Chef Dennis Prescott
  Panel discussion – School Meals:
The role beans can and does play in school meals.

 

Moderated by Paul Newnham

Chef Claude
Betty Kibaara (Food System Director, Rockefeller Foundation)
Tiina Honkanen
Chef Christian Abegan
  Closing remarks Joe Tohme (Director, Crops for Nutrition and Health, Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT)

16:00 – 16:30

 

Touring the display  
16:30 – 18:00 Networking Cocktail