IITA joins ICARDA-led global consortium to spearhead biotechnological innovations in the battle against the red palm weevil
June 13, 2025
Representatives of IITA, ICARDA and UAE.
At the 17th Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Gates Foundation, and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) launched the International Consortium for Red Palm Weevil Control (C4RPWC).
IITA will lead a critical workstream under the bold, new global initiative to combat the devastating Red Palm Weevil (RPW). This invasive pest, RPW, threatens date palms and livelihoods across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond.
The Consortium for Red Palm Weevil Control (C4RPWC), officially launched at the prestigious Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation ceremony in Abu Dhabi on 16 April 2025, brings together global scientific partners in a coordinated effort to tackle RPW through innovation, collaboration, and scaling. ICARDA leads the initiative, which was jointly supported by the United Arab Emirates and the Gates Foundation.
Date palm field in the United Arab Emirates.
IITA, through its Genome Editing Platform in Nairobi, Kenya, will lead Workstream 2: Biotechnological Innovations, exploring cutting-edge tools such as genome editing, RNA interference (RNAi), and microbiome disruption to target and weaken the pest’s biology. These novel technologies aim to deliver sustainable and precise pest control strategies, especially for regions where RPW has proven most destructive.
Speaking about IITA’s role, Dr Leena Tripathi, Director of IITA Eastern Africa Hub and Biotechnology Program Lead, emphasized the significance of leveraging biotechnology in integrated pest management strategies:
“Biotechnological innovations offer us a chance to strike at the root of the problem by targeting the weevil’s genetic makeup and biological processes. Through approaches like genome editing, RNA interference, and plant genome manipulation to build resistance, we can develop sustainable, precise, and environmentally friendly solutions. This reduces dependence on chemical pesticides and paves the way for sustainable, scalable solutions that can be adapted across different geographies.”
The consortium’s ambitious plan is structured around five scientific workstreams, each led by a specialized institution:
A date palm tree
Bio-based innovations – icipe, Kenya: Developing nature-based pest control methods using pheromones, fungi, and classical biocontrol agents.
Digital innovations & AI – ICRISAT, India: Creating predictive tools, IoT sensors, and AI platforms for early pest detection.
Good agricultural practices (GAPs) – ICBA, UAE: Promoting scalable field-level practices for prevention and control.
Policy, institutions & global access – ICARDA, UAE Regional Hub: Ensuring innovations are embedded in policy frameworks and accessible across borders.
Earlier this year, the Consortium partners convened during CGIAR Science Week to align the project’s vision and execution roadmap. For IITA, the opportunity to contribute its biotech expertise marks another milestone in its commitment to deploying scientific innovations that empower farmers, protect crops, and transform agriculture sustainably.
As the fight against RPW intensifies, the C4RPWC initiative presents a timely and coordinated scientific response, with IITA bringing its expertise in biotech innovation to the frontlines of this global challenge.
Contributed by Rose Harriet Okech
Olamide Deborah Nwanze is a Senior Research Associate specializing in gender mainstreaming research to inform participatory and inclusive breeding, variety development, and seed systems policies regarding root, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops in the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Headquarters, Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Ibadan and holds an MSc and B. Agric in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. Olamide is a fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development – Gender Responsive Agricultural Systems Policy (AWARD-GRASP) and the Gender Responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT). She seeks to apply her gender-mainstreaming learnings, gender-responsive research, and policy development, and review expertise to facilitate women, youth, children, and vulnerable social group’s access to and adoption of agricultural Innovations that guarantee food, nutrition, income, and livelihood security in Africa. Her current roles include mentoring research fellows, development of guides and training manuals, implementation and adaptation of gender frameworks and tools, value chain actors’ engagement as citizen science partners, policy review and redesign, data management, and analysis. Her current research explores mixed methods and participatory and interdisciplinary approaches to capture and highlight gender dynamics, needs, preferences, and challenges stakeholders face within the agricultural livelihood value chain to prioritize gender-inclusive strategies in breeding programs, policy design, and implementation.
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