Final preparations are now in high gear as the staging of the first ever-Pan African Banana Conference, which will link state of the art research to new and emerging markets, hits the home-stretch to its opening.
From 5 to 9 October, around 400 banana researchers, major industry players and farmer group representatives will converge in the coastal city of Mombasa in Kenya to develop a 10-year strategy that would harmonize and guide efforts to promote marketing and stimulate trade of banana and plantain in Africa.
The strategy will, in the long-term, transform commercial banana production in the continent from a donor aid -supported system to one which is sustained by an invigorated private sector that actively seeks technological interventions.
The conference will be officially opened by the Kenya Minister of Agriculture on behalf of the Kenyan Government and the Ug andan Minister for Tourism, Trade and Industry on behalf of the President of Ug anda, H.E. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
For five days, the conference will capitalize on the assembled banana and plantain expertise to explore the breadth of the industry in Africa, including disease control, seed improvement, and the development of local and regional markets.
Themed “Harnessing international partnerships to increase research impact”, the conference will have three major sections: markets and trade, production, and innovation systems. The importance of public-private sector partnership will also be highlighted.
Dr. Thomas Dubois, IITA scientist and coordinator of the conference, describes the event as a “rare and exciting opportunity where various banana research and industry players in Africa come together, learn from each other and build relationships and networks. It is also a chance for banana farmer-entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services, and forge links that will support their ability to increase yields and incomes.”
“It might be some time before we see another occasion when the brightest minds from the African banana research and industry sectors are assembled under one roof,” he adds.
Aside from presentations, plenary discussions and workshops, the conference will also constitute a substantial exhibition area where goods and farmer groups, cooperatives and entrepreneurs could showcase their goods and services.
Banana and plantain are among the most important food and staple crops in Africa, providing food security, nutrition and livelihood for millions of smallholder farmers. In the Great Lakes area of East Africa alone, the crop is worth some US$ 1.7 billion annually to 14 million resource-poor farmers.
Increasingly, bananas are being targeted for commercialization not only within Africa but also for lucrative and emerging markets such as the Middle East and Europe, where dessert bananas are hugely popular as fruits.
Recently, large multinational banana producers have announced plans for long-term strategic associations in sub-Saharan Africa, shifting banana production for European markets from Latin America to Africa. The conference will capitalize on this wave of change to improve the plight of resource-poor banana farmers in the region.
Banana Conference 2008 is organized and coordinated by IITA in cooperation with Bioversity International, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, and the International Society of Horticultural Science.
For more information about the conference, please visit http://www.banana2008.com.
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