Building crops to feed 2.5 billion Africans by 2050
A business approach to plant breeding could be the answer to Africa’s anticipated food shortages in the future. That was the view presented by Professor Hussein Shimelis at the 2nd Plant Breeders Association of Nigeria (PNAB) Webinar Series, held on Wednesday, 25 May 2022.
Shimelis was a guest speaker at this gathering, whose theme was ‘Building crops to feed 2.5 billion Africans by 2050’. The event, which coincidentally coincided with Africa Day, attracted 500 registered participants, of whom 420 joined online.
“My talk highlighted the power of plant breeding for food security and livelihoods in Africa when following demand-led breeding (DLB), a business model for plant breeders,” he said.
“It pinpoints the three DLB enablers, educational program design, and product profiles for crop improvement. The presentation provided case examples of the impact of DLB and highlighted its resources and future perspectives in Africa.
