# Presentation: 097990

## USAID African Partnership in Biotechnology: 
Strategies for Biotechnology

CORAF/WECARD Presentation

Walter S Alhassan, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria

**Strategies for Biotechnology**
**CORAF/WECARD Presentation**
**Walter S Alhassan, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria**

## Background

**Background**

**The West African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD), with the French acronym CORAF, is one of three sub-regional research organisations in sub-Saharan Africa**

## CORAF ‘s mission

**CORAF ‘s mission**

**To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural research in West and Central Africa by contributing to the building and consolidation of the capacities of the NARS**
**Composition:**
**NARS of 21 member countries in WCA**

## Previous Biotechnology Initiative

**Previous Biotechnology Initiative**

**A year 2000 study (Alhassan, 2001) on 5 countries (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal) revealed among others: **
**A low capacity for biotechnology in the sub-region**
**Though CORAF recognised the importance of biotechnology as a tool in agricultural research there was no specific focus on it**

## Current Biotechnology Initiative

**Current Biotechnology Initiative**

**At the request of CORAF, USAID commissioned a more detailed study into biotechnology applications in the sub-region **
**Countries surveyed:**
**Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana ,  Mali, Nigeria and Senegal**** **

## Current Biotechnology Initiative

**Current Biotechnology Initiative**

**Terms of reference :**
**Make an inventory of on-going or planned   ****	****  biotech. activities**
**Identify gaps and opportunities for agro-****	****	****biotech. interventions**
**Develop a framework to assist in undertaking ****	****priority setting for biotech. research and development from a regional perspective**

## Findings

**Findings**

**Improved awareness of biotech. and a willingness of all NARS to use the tool in the national research systems**
**A gradient in capacity for biotech. work: Mali and Burkina Faso currently the  weakest while Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal are the strongest**

## Findings

**Findings**

**Most capacity in NARS is for tissue culture. Only 3 labs. (CERAAS, Senegal; CRI, Ghana and CNRA, Côte d’Ivoire) conduct studies to identify QTLs using molecular markers**
** **
**A wide range of commodities is worked on for characterisation, plant material development by tissue culture, disease and pest control**

## Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa

**Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa**

**Root and tuber crops**
**Cassava (*****Manihot esculenta*****)**
**Yams (*****Dioscorea***** spp.)**
**Cocoyam (*****Xanthosoma sagitifolium*****)**
**Sweetpotato (*****Ipomoea batatas*****)**
**Potato (*****Solanum tuberosum*****)**
**Constraints:**
**Planting material, diseases, germplasm characterization.**

## Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa

**Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa**

***Musa***** spp.**
**Banana (*****Musa***** spp. AAA)**
**Plantain (*****Musa***** spp. AAB)**
**Constraints:**
**Planting material, diseases, germplasm characterization**

## Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa

**Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa**

**Cereals**
**Maize (*****Zea mays*****)**
**Sorghum (*****Sorghum bicolor*****)**
**Rice (*****Oryza sativa*****)**
**Pearl millet (*****Pennisetum glaucum*****)**
**Constraints:****	**
**Gene pool characterization, *****Striga*****, drought, diseases, insects, other weeds**

## Legumes
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)

Constraints:
Genepool characterization, insects, drought

**Legumes**
**Cowpea (*****Vigna unguiculata*****)**
**Constraints:**
**Genepool characterization, insects, drought**

**Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa**

## Tree crops
Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)
Sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa)
Kola (Cola acuminata)
Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)

Constraints:
Planting material, genepool characterization, insects, disease.

**Tree crops**
**Oil Palm (*****Elaeis guineensis*****)**
**Coconut (*****Cocos nucifera*****)**
**Cocoa (*****Theobroma cacao*****)**
**Sheanut (*****Vitellaria paradoxa*****)**
**Kola (*****Cola acuminata*****)**
**Rubber (*****Hevea brasiliensis*****)**
**Constraints:**
**Planting material, genepool characterization, insects, disease.**

**Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa**

## Fibre crops
Cotton (Gossypium spp.)
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus)

Constraints:
Insects, planting material

**Fibre crops**
**Cotton (*****Gossypium *****spp.)**
**Kenaf (*****Hibiscus cannabinus*****)**
**Constraints:**
**Insects, planting material**

**Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa**

## Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa

**Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa**

**Animals**
**Cattle**
**Sheep**
**Goats**
**Poultry**
**Constraints:**
**Diagnostics, disease (vaccines), **
**characterization**

## Others
Micro-organisms

Constraints:
Isolation, characterization and production of inocula (nitrogen fixation and food fermentation)

***Others***
**Micro-organisms**
**Constraints:**
**Isolation, characterization and production of inocula (nitrogen fixation and food fermentation)**

**Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West and Central Africa**

## Biopolicy Issues

**Biopolicy Issues**

**No country in the sub-region has passed its biosafety laws. Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria are close to doing so**
**Only Cameroon has ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Mali and Ghana are close to doing so**

## Biopolicy Issues

**Biopolicy Issues**

**Nigeria is developing the most ambitious biotech. program in the sub-region**
**Nigeria and Mali are targeted for special biotech. capacity building assistance by USAID**

## Public Awareness

**Public Awareness**

**There is a low level of public awareness of biotechnology and biosafety. The NGO community is better informed than the media.**
** **

## NGO Reaction to Issues of Biotechnology and Biosafety in WCA (11 NGOs surveyed)

**NGO Reaction to Issues of Biotechnology and Biosafety in WCA (11 NGOs surveyed)**

**Some understanding of biotech. (55%)**
**Positive attitude to biotech. agric. products      ****	****  including GMOs (46%)**
**Some understanding of biosafety (46%)****	**
**Willingness to train in biosafety (82%)****	**
**Willingness to recruit biosafety personnel (73%)**

- Biopolicy Issues

## Media Commitment on Biotech. and Related Disciplines in West and Central Africa

**Media Commitment on Biotech. and Related Disciplines in West and Central Africa**

**Availability of science desk (50%)****	**
**Willingness to recruit science correspondent (75%)****	**
**Agriculture reporting (69%)****	**
**Health and environment reporting (63%)****	**
**Understanding of biotechnology (25%)**

## 
Training and infrastructure were the commonest constraints of the NARS

**Training and infrastructure were the commonest constraints of the NARS**

**NARS Constraints**

## 
CORAF is yet to receive and deliberate on the current report. The suggested framework is subject to further modification by the CORAF General Assembly.

**CORAF is yet to receive and deliberate on the current report. The suggested framework is subject to further modification by the CORAF General Assembly.**

**Sub-regional framework for biotechnology and biosafety**

## 
Prioritisation and management of biotech. in WCA should follow the existing CORAF framework for Base Centres, Poles and Networks . There is the need to prioritise commodities to maximise resource use.

**Prioritisation and management of biotech. in WCA should follow the existing CORAF framework for Base Centres, Poles and Networks . There is the need to prioritise commodities to maximise resource use.**

**Sub-regional framework for biotechnology and biosafety**

## The biosafety framework proposed for the ASARECA region is generic and will find application in the CORAF region. There is however the need to consider sanitary and phytosanitary measures alongside biosafety in germplasm movement across borders for sub-regional trade.

**The biosafety framework proposed for the ASARECA region is generic and will find application in the CORAF region. There is however the need to consider sanitary and phytosanitary measures alongside biosafety in germplasm movement across borders for sub-regional trade.**

**Sub-regional framework for biotechnology and biosafety**

## Submit report for CORAF and USAID consideration

 Organise a stakeholders’ workshop to consider the report and assist in developing a set of priority actions as part of a proposal for assistance to development partners

**Submit report for CORAF and USAID consideration**
** ****Organise a stakeholders’ workshop to consider the report and assist in developing a set of priority actions as part of a proposal for assistance to development partners**

**Challenges for Biotechnology and Way Forward for the CORAF sub-region**

## Challenges for biotechnology/Way Forward for the CORAF sub-region 

**Challenges for biotechnology/Way Forward for the CORAF sub-region **

**Need to fast-track the biotech. planning and implementation process to meet development partner deadlines. ABSPII will be involved in capacity development process with IITA**
**The proposal development needs to address how to get the public sector not to consider biosafety in isolation from biotech. capacity development **

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