{"id":18190,"date":"2026-06-20T13:02:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T13:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/bridging-continents-with-yam-australian-delegates-visit-iita-for-knowledge-exchange\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:51:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:51:41","slug":"bridging-continents-with-yam-australian-delegates-visit-iita-for-knowledge-exchange","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/bridging-continents-with-yam-australian-delegates-visit-iita-for-knowledge-exchange\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridging continents with yam: Australian delegates visit IITA for knowledge exchange"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure id=\"attachment_33046\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-33046\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-33046 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dr-Asrat-Amele.png\" alt=\"Dr Asrat Amele, in company of IITA Yam Breeding experts and IITA Management Team welcoming the Australian delegates for their weeklong training program.\" width=\"820\" height=\"411\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-33046\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr Asrat Amele, in company of IITA Yam Breeding experts and IITA Management Team welcoming the Australian delegates for their weeklong training program.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A spirit of collaboration, curiosity, and cultural connection defined the recent visit of four Australian delegates to IITA from 7-11 July. The team, led by Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa, Director of Scientific Nutrition and Food Systems, University of Queensland, Australia, enjoyed a weeklong interactive exchange focused on deepening understanding of yam research and exploring innovative strategies to enhance yam production and utilization within Australia, particularly among Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What began as initial conversations between research colleagues across continents became robust interactions across multiple IITA teams, offering the Australian delegation a rich, firsthand exploration of yam breeding, production, and value addition at IITA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IITA Director for Strategic Planning and Chief of Staff, Ibnou Dieng, and the Acting Deputy Director General Partnerships for Delivery, Dr Tahirou Abdoulaye, welcomed the delegates on behalf of IITA Management. They stressed the economic importance and the opportunities to explore yam breeding at IITA. \u201cThe objective is really to take yams to higher heights. Let&#8217;s make this happen together,\u201d said Dr Abdoulaye, emphasizing yams\u2019 role in regional economies and their untapped potential globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure id=\"attachment_33047\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-33047\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-33047 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/The-Australian-delegates.png\" alt=\"The Australian delegates in IITA Yam field learning yam pollination techniques.\" width=\"820\" height=\"411\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-33047\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Australian delegates in IITA Yam field learning yam pollination techniques.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through the training sessions, led by Yam Breeding Experts at IITA, participants gained insight into IITA\u2019s yam breeding strategies, processing techniques, disease and pest management, yam seed systems, pollination, phenotyping, and propagation technologies. Their exploration extended beyond IITA\u2019s campus, including a visit to Bodija Market to observe yam trade dynamics and a tour of NIJI Group\u2019s processing facilities, reinforcing the link between research, industry, and market realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Responding to the resourceful package of the weeklong training program, Prof Yasmina said, \u201cThe interactions and the laughter between teams are very visible.\u201d \u201cThe knowledge system you have here is second to none\u2014advanced and world-class. For us in Australia, this knowledge can help us reintroduce yam into our climate-challenged environment and reconnect Indigenous communities with their traditional food sources. We won\u2019t reinvent the wheel\u2014we\u2019ll ride on the wealth of IITA\u2019s research to find adaptive solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The delegation included Prof Yasmina\u2019s PhD student, Samson Fawale, and two members of the Yidinji community, Roy and Tracy Gray. \u201cYams may be the next European potatoes\u2014affordable and accessible,\u201d Roy noted. \u201cIndigenous people are reclaiming their health, and traditional foods like yams are part of that resilience.\u201d Tracy added, \u201cBlending our ancestral knowledge with scientific research has been impactful. We\u2019ll take these insights home to improve our food systems and share with our tribes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure id=\"attachment_33048\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-33048\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-33048 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/The-Australian-delegates-heartily-pose-with-their-certificate.png\" alt=\"The Australian delegates heartily pose with their certificate of participation after the weeklong training.\" width=\"820\" height=\"411\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-33048\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Australian delegates heartily pose with their certificate of participation after the weeklong training.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a special edition of IITA\u2019s Knowledge Caf\u00e9 Seminar, Prof Yasmina and Samson presented research on the transformation of the local food system in Australia. They highlighted efforts to support sustainable nutrition and food security through engagement with Indigenous communities and science-based solutions. The discussions opened doors for future collaboration in food safety, diet diversity, climate resilience, and youth capacity building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IITA Head of Plant Breeding, Dr Hapson Mushoriwa, concluded, \u201cThis engagement has been immensely rewarding. From advanced breeding technologies to practical field knowledge, we\u2019ve strengthened our collective understanding and the foundation for a long-term collaboration between IITA and the Center for Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Queensland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking ahead, both institutions have agreed to pursue a formal partnership agreement that fosters joint research, student exchanges, co-publications, and private sector engagement. These efforts aim to develop tropical crop innovations with real-world impact, particularly in food-insecure communities and underserved populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2018Together, we are moving yam research forward, from lab to farm and farm to table,\u2019 Dr Mushoriwa concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Contributed by Folake Oduntan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Related Stories:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/iita-australia-collaboration-promises-productive-investments-in-agriculture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IITA-Australia collaboration promises productive investments in agriculture<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/australia-and-iita-to-strengthen-partnership-for-climate-responsive-agriculture-in-africa\/\">Australia and IITA to strengthen partnership for climate-responsive agriculture in Africa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/visiting-scientist-discusses-transfer-of-technologies-on-yam-breeding-between-iita-and-jamaican-institution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visiting Scientist discusses transfer of technologies on yam breeding between IITA and Jamaican Institution<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yams, Yam breeding, Research, Indigenous communities, Australia, IITA, Queensland University, Nutrition, Food safety, Food processing, Food security, The team, led by Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa, Director of Scientific Nutrition and Food Systems.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":18191,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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