Projects and Flagship Initiatives in Benin

Projects and Flagship Initiatives in Benin - Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT

These projects and flagship initiatives are renown collaborative efforts that address critical challenges and harness opportunities in agriculture and food systems in Benin. Through innovative research, strategic partnerships, and on-the-ground interventions, these projects not only drive positive change but also serve as beacons of hope for a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable future. From enhancing crop diversity to promoting climate-smart practices, these initiatives stand as a testament to the Alliance’s unwavering commitment to advancing agricultural innovation and fostering inclusive growth in Benin. 

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Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices in Benin. Credit: Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT/GeorginaSmith 

Project title 

Project Rationale 

GERMANY GIZ – Enhancing Consumer Demand 

Empowering communities in northern Benin to embrace nutritious underutilized species, thereby fostering healthier diets and food security. 

GERMANY GIZ – Green Innovation Centres 

Establishing Green Innovation Centres across multiple countries, including Benin, to catalyze sustainable agricultural practices and enhance food security. 

GERMANY GIZ – Knowledge Management 

Facilitating knowledge management and decision support for soil protection and rehabilitation initiatives in Benin and other partner countries, ensuring informed and effective interventions.

RAAF (Nigeria-ECOWAS) Promote Climate-Smart Agriculture 

Promoting climate-smart agriculture in Benin and neighboring countries to build resilience against climate change and enhance agricultural sustainability.

CORAF (SWITZERLAND-SDC) – Promoting Adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture 

Promoting the adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies and practices in Benin and other Sahelian countries to bolster food security and resilience in the face of climate variability. 

BMG-University of Queensland Project on BBTD monitoring and management 

Development of drone and smartphone-based tools for BBTD detection and monitoring. 

Project title 

Project Rationale 

EC Combating Malnutrition in Africa 

Combating malnutrition in Benin and other African countries through the diversification of the food system, promoting healthy diets and addressing food security challenges.

HD4A – Healthy Diets for Africa 

Contributing to the diversification of the food system to help combat all forms of malnutrition while minimizing its environmental footprint.

FRESH – Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets 

Using an end-to-end approach to increase fruit and vegetable intake to improve diet quality, nutrition and health while improving livelihoods, empowering women and youth, and mitigating negative environmental impacts.

HFA – Healthy Food Africa 

Making food systems in 10 African cities across six countries more sustainable, equitable and resilient by reconnecting food production and food consumption. 

Food Africa  

Enhancing food security in west and east Africa by providing new knowledge and tools for researchers, decision-makers and local farmers.

ShiFT (upcoming) 

Using an innovative, consumer-focused perspective to understand how to increase demand for and access to sustainable healthy diets.
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Enhancing sustainable food security in Benin. Credit: Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT/GeorginaSmith 

 Climate-smart soil protection and rehabilitation in Benin. 

© Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT/GeorginaSmith   

Climate-smart soils: testing soil health in Benin. For over a decade, the Alliance has tested agronomic and soil management practices in Benin. From minimum tillage to integrated soil fertility management, these trials are the most comprehensive picture of tropical soil health that we have in Benin. 

© Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT/GeorginaSmith 

Improved bush beans perform better than local varieties, but delivery systems to get them to farmers are key in Benin.  

© Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT/StephanieMalyon 

 

PABRA Projects

Project title 

Project Rationale 

Project entitled “Building Equitable Climate-Resilient African Bean and Insect Sectors (BRAINS)”. Funded WECABREN countries by GAC. 

Enhancing climate resilience, leadership, and agency among women and youth bean, fruit tree and insect farmers and value chain actors; develop and widely deploying climate-smart technologies and nature-positive solutions at farm level; and building a pipeline of enterprises investing in carbon-neutral, climate-resilient, and gender-responsive business development activities.   

Seed Equal CGIAR initiative 

Working to support delivering of quality seed of improved varieties of common beans that are climate-resilient, market-preferred, and nutritious, providing farmers with a high rate of genetic gain while ensuring equitable access for women and other disadvantaged groups. 

AGRA funded project entitled: Developing and deploy drought tolerant high iron bean varieties (HIB) that fit the Legume-Rice crop rotation. 

 

Developing and releasing drought tolerant and high-iron and zinc bean varieties, Develop climate-adaptive bean-rice cropping system technologies and disseminate to men, women, and youth smallholder farmers along the bean value chain, and Build capacity of farmers, researchers, and service providers to produce, disseminate, and market beans. 
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Drought tolerant, high-iron and zinc bean varieties developed and released in Benin. Credit: Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT/StephanieMalyon 

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Climate-resilient, market-preferred, and nutritious beans in Benin. Credit: Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT/StephanieMalyon 

Project title 

Project Rationale 

Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) funded by African Development Bank. 

The bank explores Innovative Partnership for Technology scale up in Cameroon: Organize collaborative capacity building and learning events with extension and advisory service providers on methods of efficiently delivering bean variety seed and complementary ICM information including use of digital technologies, seed inspection, and certification. 

Africa Development Bank (AfDB) funded Project: PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS IN THE RCA SAVANNAH (PADECAS). 

Dynamic and efficient system for disseminating iron-rich bean seeds, Promotion through a vast dissemination of good agricultural practices to improve the production of iron-rich beans and strengthen private sector connections for the creation of nutritious and affordable products, and Strategic investments intended for the dissemination of technologies initiated within the country by the project. 

Training research technicians and bean seed producers, Monitoring/supervision of the production and dissemination of certified seeds, contribute to the deployment of the National Roadmap for improving the seed system, and Establishment of demonstration trials for the promotion of technologies for at least 4 operational platforms. 

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