{"id":18195,"date":"2026-06-20T13:02:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T13:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/why-a-soybean-breeding-network-in-east-africa-makes-sense-now\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:51:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:51:46","slug":"why-a-soybean-breeding-network-in-east-africa-makes-sense-now","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/why-a-soybean-breeding-network-in-east-africa-makes-sense-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a soybean breeding network in East Africa makes sense now"},"content":{"rendered":"\nBy Dr Godfree Chigeza, Soybean Breeder, <\/em>International Institute of Tropical Agriculture<\/em><\/a> (IITA), Dean <\/em>Muungani, Product Manager – Grain Crops, IITA, and Lennin Musundire, <\/em>CGIAR Accelerated Breeding TRANSFORM<\/em><\/a> Lead for East Africa <\/em>\n\n
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Group pictures of the PDT meetings of the soybean breeding network in East Africa. Credit: Lennin Musundire.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nAs climate variability increases, fueled by rapid population growth, changing diets, and expanding livestock and aquaculture sectors, demand for protein-rich crops, such as soybeans – a long-underutilised crop in East Africa – is stepping into spotlight. Yet, the region remains heavily reliant on imports, missing out on the economic and nutritional opportunities that a strong domestic soybean value chain could unlock.\n\nTo address this, a regional soybean breeding network is gaining traction, and experts say the time couldn\u2019t be better. With funding support from the Gates Foundation<\/a>, the network is being coordinated by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in collaboration with \u00a0 national research programs, private sector players and universities, working together to operationalize\u00a0 a regional soybean breeding network across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.\n

Why soybean and why now?<\/h3>\nThe soybean value chain holds great promises<\/a> and demand is rising fast in East Africa. Soya is a source of protein which can be processed into soy-based food products and animal feed (e.g. soy meals or oilseed cakes), contributing to poultry, fish and livestock production for human consumption. It also produces edible oil as a co-product.\n\n
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Figure 1: Soya bean suitability map Africa. Source: Tukamuhabwa P.M., 2010<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nSoya could support nutritional food security through soy-based foods and oils, but also increase soil health via nitrogen fixation and income generation through processing, value addition, and trade.\n\nDespite favourable growing conditions, average yields across sub-Saharan Africa remain low \u2013 around 1.26 metric tonnes per hectare<\/a>, compared to a global average of 2.76. In 2022 alone, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda imported over 129,000 metric tonnes of soy products worth USD 84 million<\/a>. In Kenya, current domestic production meets only 1% of annual demand, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development<\/a>\n\nIn this context, i<\/span>mproving <\/span>regional <\/span>production would<\/span> reduce dependency on imports and significantly increase farmer incomes.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

Shared <\/span>n<\/span>eeds, <\/span>shared<\/span> s<\/span>olutions<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Soy yogurt in Uganda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nAcross<\/span> East Africa, farmers and markets <\/span>consistently demand similar <\/span>core set of traits in soybean varieties<\/span>.<\/span> F<\/span>irst and foremost<\/span>, h<\/span>igher yields<\/span>, <\/span>then <\/span>r<\/span>ust tolerance<\/span>, i<\/span>mproved oil and protein content<\/span>, d<\/span>rought resilience<\/span> and s<\/span>horter maturity periods for varying <\/span>agro<\/span>-ecologies<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
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<\/span>Given these shared priorities, <\/span>there\u2019s<\/span> no<\/span> reason to breed in silos. By pooling resources, sharing germplasm, and specializing based on comparative advantage<\/span>s in the breeding process<\/span>, the<\/span> network member countries <\/span>can breed faster, smarter, and together.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
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<\/span>\u201cThe goal is not just to improve breeding programs country by country,\u201d says<\/span> Lennin <\/span>Musund<\/span>ire<\/span>,<\/span> <\/span>CGIA<\/span>R Accelerated Breeding <\/span>TRANSFORM<\/span><\/span><\/a> Lead for East Africa<\/span>. \u201cIt\u2019s to create a cohesive regional engine for soybean innovation<\/span>, <\/span>one that\u2019s aligned with market needs and built to serve both farmers and processors.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n

From national priorities to regional design<\/h3>\nThe first step in building the East African Soybean Network was engaging national stakeholders. CGIAR Accelerated Breeding TRANSFORM convened national Product Design Teams (PDTs) in all five countries. These multidisciplinary teams bring together farmers, processors and seed companies, government extension agents, gender and nutrition specialists, researchers and agro-dealers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nTogether, they:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n