It has been my honour to lead icipe over the past 10 years. I have aimed to challenge and inspire the Centre’s teams and partners to set grander visions, grounded in the belief that, with good science, we can harness the wonderful potential of insects while tackling their negative impacts.

Over the past decade, insect-related menaces have heightened across the continent, not least due to the arrival of several invasive species. These new threats pile on to existing challenges, including a plethora of crop pests, as well as vectors that transmit human and animal diseases. These hazards are compounded by escalating factors such as climate change, poor soils, variations in land use and landscapes, and rising
urbanisation.

As a result of these and broader circumstances, there are new urgencies to transform the food system, to provide a fast-rising population with healthy, adequate, safe, nutritious food, without harming the Earth; tackle Africa’s disproportionate burden of vector-borne diseases, as well as emerging and re-emerging viruses, through integrated health systems; improve livestock health and productivity, while addressing their polarised role in greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation; generate novel income and job opportunities, especially for women, youth and vulnerable sections of society; protect and exploit the biodiversity of beneficial insects; and build cleaner, healthier and more resilient environments. At icipe, we have held the firm belief that alongside these obstacles, the opportunities for development in Africa are enormous and the continent is well poised to exploit them. Read more...