The journey of collaboration between beans, insects and fruit trees actors kicked off in Nairobi from October 7 to 9 2024, with the launch of the Building Equitable Climate-Resilient African Bean and INsect Sector (BRAINS) Project, spearheaded by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, alongside the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe).
Supported through a CAD $20 million grant from the Global Affairs Canada, the BRAINS Project through this partnership 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.
