icipe had the utmost honour of welcoming Hon. Randeep Sarai, the Canadian Secretary of State for International Development, on a visit to our Duduville Campus. The delegation included H.E Joshua Tabah, Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya; and Sophie Price, Head of Cooperation.

The visit was in the context of the Building Equitable Climate-Resilient African Bean and Insect Sectors (BRAINS) project, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), spearheaded by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (The Alliance), alongside icipe. The project is being implemented in partnership with national agricultural research institutions (NARs).

The BRAINS Project is poised to uplift the lives of over 70 million people directly and indirectly across 15 African countries over a period of five years. With a focus on integrating beans, beneficial insects and fruit trees, primarily mangoes, citrus and avocados, BRAINS will transform agriculture across Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, through the promotion of low-carbon practices and enhancement of climate resilience among women and youth farmers, by accelerating the delivery of participatory climate-smart technologies.

The delegation was received by icipe Director General, Dr Abdou Tenkouano; Ms Oumou Doumbouya, Resource Mobilization & Partnerships Officer – Africa Region, The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT; and Dr Patrick Ketiem, Director General, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO).

They witnessed firsthand the progress of the BRAINS project, through testimonials and an exhibition by the research teams, farmers and private sector representatives.