On 28th April 2022, the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board co-organized with CGIAR through International Institute of Tropical Agriculture-Rwanda (IITA-Rwanda) a two-day workshop termed “Transforming Agri-Food Systems in West and Central Africa (TAFS-WCA)”.
TAFS-WCA is an initiative that specifically aims at transforming nutritious, climate-adapted & market-driven food systems in the region. It will do so through development and scaling of novel and inclusive production and postharvest technologies, participatory decision-making and planning, informed governance, and the strengthening of gender and youth business hubs.
Addressing the event, Dr Patrick KARANGWA, the Director General of the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board, said that the workshop is a momentum to expand and deepen collaboration to accelerate progress and adoption towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“With this initiative of Transforming Agri-Food Systems in West and Central Africa under One CGIAR, we foresee more impact when brought together under common objectives. Therefore, we need to lessen the institutional boundaries with clear agreements and operational structure or framework to have enviable opportunities to maximize added value and research findings adoption through a single organizational and research delivery structure.”- He added
The Central Africa component will be implemented within three countries, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Burundi.
CGIAR centers have been implementing various projects that aim at ensuring food security through research and partnerships with national research centers. From now on, they will no longer appear as the International Potato Center (CIP) or International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Africa Rice or International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); they will be working together as one team, therefore harmonizing all engagements within regional and national agricultural systems.