Enabling vegetable business development in East Africa
Consuming vegetables as part of a daily diet is extremely beneficial to the health and wellbeing of individuals. A healthy diet can help prevent non-communicable diseases. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, vegetable consumption is the lowest of any region in the world. Problems within the vegetable supply and value chain, including pests and the use of harmful pesticides, are causing losses and high levels of residues. CABI is working with the ‘Veggies 4 Planet & People’ project to help increase healthy vegetable production and consumption in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Rapid appraisal of the financing landscape for the coffee sector in Africa
The coffee sector in Africa provides a vital source of income for many smallholder farmers and accounts for a large proportion of export income for many countries. However, access to finance for production, in-country processing and marketing of coffee is one of the main challenges limiting the transformation of the African coffee sub-sector into a vibrant and resilient industry. CABI is undertaking a study aimed at finding ways to overcome these challenges by determining the best models for financing the micro and small to medium enterprises, and individual smallholder producers of the African coffee value chains.
Researching and analysing the Kenya livestock value chain
The livestock sector in Kenya is vital to people’s livelihoods. Many households depend on it for income through the sale of animal products, employment, as a source of food, and it also contributes significantly to the national gross domestic product. However, the production and productivity of the sector are below potential due to process and technological under-developments, weak market infrastructure and organization, inadequate resourcing and climate change shocks. To help improve the productivity and resilience of the sector, this project is seeking to identify opportunities to strengthen value chains in the sector through investments, trade and collaborations with the United States agricultural sector.
Supporting the implementation of the Plant Health Strategy for Africa
Robust plant health systems and reduced pest and disease risks contribute to better livelihoods, food security, increased trade, and the protection of biodiversity in Africa. However, challenges faced by the Inter-African Phytosanitary Council of the African Union (AU-IAPSC) prevent them from fulfilling these. Challenges include the absence of clear national and regional coordination frameworks of National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) which are underfunded and unequipped to implement international standards, and insufficient scientific and research capacity to address and apply sanitary and phytosanitary measures. In this project, CABI is providing technical expertise to help the AU-IAPSC implement the Plant Health Strategy for Africa as part of an effort to improve regional coordination, strengthen the capacity of NPPOs and ensure SPS security.