Gabon
COUNTRY OVERVIEW
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture is delivering growing impact in Gabon by strengthening seed systems, promoting digital agriculture, and improving food and nutrition security. Through partnerships and scalable innovations, IITA supports resilient farming systems, enhanced productivity, and greater economic opportunities for farming communities and agribusiness actors.
FOCUS AREAS
Cassava and Plantain Seed Systems
Strengthening the production and delivery of healthy cassava and plantain planting materials to improve productivity and food security.
Climate-Smart and Technology-Driven Agriculture
Promoting digital advisory tools and modern agricultural technologies for improved farm management and disease monitoring.
Nutrition and Food Processing
Supporting the development of nutrient-rich food products and improving processing techniques to enhance nutrition outcomes.
Youth in Agribusiness
Empowering young people through agribusiness training and entrepreneurship opportunities under the IITA Youth Agripreneurs model.
Capacity Development and Institutional Strengthening
Building technical capacity among researchers, extension officers, and national institutions through training and technology transfer.
Featured Projects
INNOVATION
Healthy Cassava and Plantain Planting Materials
Implementation of large-scale multiplication systems to supply disease-free cassava cuttings and plantain tissue culture plants.
PICS: Hermetic Bags for Safe Storage of grain
Hermetic bags are air-tight which prevents oxygen and moisture from getting to the grain stored within them. A multi-layer technology is used to modify the environment and restrict gas exchange with the outside atmosphere. Under this system, farmers can store grains for up to two years while retaining their palatability and cooking quality.
Cassava Seed Field Multiplication Protocol
From planting to certification—seed production made simple.
This approach helps improve the availability of high-quality cassava seeds by using effective field-based methods such as SAH plantlets and pencil stems.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS
IITA is delivering growing impact in Gabon by strengthening seed systems, promoting digital agriculture, and improving food and nutrition security. Through partnerships and scalable innovations, IITA supports resilient farming systems, enhanced productivity, and greater economic opportunities for farming communities and agribusiness actors.
5m
million healthy cassava cuttings targeted for distribution
Large-scale seed system interventions are improving farmers’ access to clean planting materials and strengthening cassava production systems.
667,000
plantain tissue culture plants supporting food security
Improved plantain planting materials are enhancing productivity and reducing the spread of diseases in plantain systems.
Digital tools strengthening agricultural decision-making
Technologies such as SeedTracker, Akilimo, and PlantVillage NURU are improving farm management, disease detection, and data collection.
Biological control reducing crop losses from invasive pests
Integrated pest management approaches are helping manage papaya mealybug infestations and improve crop health.
Nutrition-sensitive innovations improving food quality
Promotion of provitamin A-rich plantain products is supporting improved nutrition for vulnerable populations.
Youth engagement expanding agribusiness opportunities
The IITA Youth Agripreneurs model is creating pathways for youth employment and enterprise development in agriculture.
PARTNERS
IITA works in Gabon with government institutions, research organizations, and development partners to scale agricultural innovations and strengthen food systems.
- Ministry of Agriculture
- National Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology (INSAB)
- Institute of Agronomic and Forestry Research (IRAF)
- AfDB
Publications
Subterranean microbiome affiliations of plantain (Musa spp.) under diverse agroecologies of western and central Africa
Cytological and molecular characterization for ploidy determination in yams (Dioscorea spp.)
Variability of provitamin A carotenoids in plantain: influence of cultivar, bunch type, maturation stage, and location
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