Prof. Eric Danquah, Director of West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), is calling African institutions to unite in their efforts to achieve a hunger-free Africa.
Speaking at the third edition of the Africa Plant Breeders Association (APBA) Conference in Morocco, under the theme "Leveraging Genetic Innovation for Resilient African Food Systems in the Wake of Global Shocks", Prof. Danquah highlighted the inadequacy of current strategies by both international and national research institutions to eradicate hunger and promote sustainable agriculture on the continent. He emphasized the urgent need for a change in approach
Prof. Eric Danquah, Director of WACCI
The APBA conference assembles international scientists and experts from diverse national and international institutions, creating a collaborative space for plant breeders, researchers, students, private companies, and national agricultural policymakers to exchange insights and discuss their research outcomes and innovations.
In his address, Prof. Danquah emphasized that African Universities should reflect the continent’s culture and identity, asserting that innovative solutions and ideas designed to meet the needs of African farmers must originate and be implemented within the continent itself. "True solutions must emerge from our own roots", he insisted.
Since its establishment, the APBA conference has demonstrated the potential of Africans to address their challenges, particularly in food and nutrition security. As the outgoing President of the APBA, Prof. Danquah shared several key achievements of the association under his tenure.
He noted that, APBA has held two successful international conferences in Ghana and Rwanda, facilitated the establishment of two new national associations of plant breeders in Nigeria and Ghana, and promoted global collaborations with academic, research and industry partners including the North America Plant Breeders Association, among others. He added that the selection of the APBA by the African Union Commission to lead the Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources Management within the framework of the African Seed and Biotechnology Platform was a major development in the work of the APBA.
The conference at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) from October 23 – 26 in Ben Guirir, Morocco, attracted a diverse group of over 300 scientists and policymakers from 53 countries. During the third Business Meeting of the APBA, new Executive Officers were elected to succeed the current executives in January 2024. Professor Eric Danquah will pass the baton to Professor Julia Sibiya, Dean and Head, School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa after completing two successful terms as the first President of the APBA, which was founded in 2019.