Banana and plantain in Africa

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is organizing an Africa-based conference on 5-9th October at the Leisure Lodge Resort in Mombasa, Kenya that will focus on banana and plantain research across Africa: lessons learnt and the way forward. Fostering international partnerships is a major objective of the conference, with particular emphasis to establish the role of research in promoting future commercial activities and trade in banana, plantain and ensete. There is an urgent need to target basic and applied research that connects to existing and emerging markets. This unique conference will be the first pan-African meeting to link research to markets in an African context. Key priorities:

1. Develop an African strategy for the next decade to exploit banana and plantain research
2. Strengthen research partnerships to overcome production bottlenecks
3. Harmonize research with production trends, emerging markets and trade networks

This conference is urgently needed as banana and plantain are key staple crops in rural households in Africa. They are also being increasingly targeted for income generation through improved linkages with the private sector. The conference also intends to foster research and trade experiences from other commodities. The result of this meeting will be to fully realize the potential of this crucial crop for poverty alleviation and wealth generation.