<a href="https://absafricatv.com/africa-financial-inclusion-summit-and-expo-2026/” title=”Africa Financial Inclusion Summit and Expo 2026″>Africa’s future food security is being shaped not only in farmers’ fields, but also in laboratories, breeding programs, and data science classrooms where a new generation of scientists is acquiring the knowledge needed to breed the climate-smart, nutritious, and high-yielding crops of tomorrow.
Over three weeks, more than 40 emerging plant breeders, researchers, and scientists from 18 African universities and 10 African National Agricultural Research Systems (NARES) from 10 African countries convened in Nairobi for an intensive series of capacity development workshops under the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) Capacity Project. Co-organized by CIMMYT and Cornell University, the training combined a Data Analysis Hackathon for Opportunity Crops, Enterprise Breeding System (EBS), Bioflow Pipeline, and Quantitative Genetics courses into one integrated learning experience.
The workshops represent more than technical training. They are part of a long-term investment in Africa’s scientific leadership — equipping young researchers with the skills, networks, and digital tools needed to accelerate crop improvement and strengthen food and nutrition security across the continent.
Investing in human capital who will transform African agriculture
Climate change, emerging pests and diseases, and growing food demand are placing unprecedented pressure on Africa’s agricultural systems. Meeting these challenges requires more than improved technologies; it requires highly skilled scientists capable of translating research into practical solutions for farmers.
The VACS Capacity Project was established with this vision in mind.
“The VACS Capacity Project is not simply training scientists, it is building a movement that strengthens Africa’s food systems through strategic investment in human capital and data-driven innovation,” said Prof Julia Sibiya, VACS Capacity Project Lead.She added, “To transform African agriculture, we must empower the next generation of plant breeders with the scientific and analytical skills needed to develop climate-resilient and nutritious crop varieties like the opportunity crops for future generations.”
One of the most powerful results of this initiative is building long-term institutional capacity by strengthening the expertise of researchers who will lead national breeding programs across Africa. This collaborative network ensures that Africa’s “shared agricultural challenges” are met with shared excellence.
Turning agricultural data into better crop varieties
Modern crop improvement increasingly relies on the ability to generate, manage, integrate, and interpret large volumes of phenotypic and genomic data. During the workshops, participants developed practical skills in the use of R-studio for data analysis, quantitative genetics, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), breeding data management, and digital decision-support platforms that enable faster and more accurate breeding decisions.
The Enterprise Breeding System (EBS) and the Biometrical Genetics Workflow (Bioflow) Pipeline introduced standardized digital workflows that improve data quality, enhance collaboration among breeding programs, and enable researchers to make more informed selections throughout the breeding process.
These tools allow breeders to identify promising genetic materials more efficiently, reducing the time needed to develop improved crop varieties while increasing the precision of breeding decisions.
Unlocking the potential of Africa’s opportunity crops
A defining feature of the VACS Capacity initiative is its focus on Opportunity Crops—underutilized but highly valuable crops that are well-suited to African farming systems and have a significant role to play in resilient agrifood systems. These include bambara groundnut, finger millet, okra, sesame, taro, amaranth, and pigeon pea, among others—crops valued for their nutritional quality, climate resilience, and adaptability to African farming systems.
Despite their importance for nutrition, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods, many of these neglected crops have historically received limited investment in research and breeding. VACS Capacity is working to unlock the genetic potential of these crops, and hasten their development for farmers across Africa, through innovative breeding techniques coupled with data science.
Learning today, leading tomorrow
For many participants, the training marked an important milestone in their professional development.
According to Feyisa Bejiga Gelashe, an MSc VACS Fellow from Ethiopia, who is studying at Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, the training has an immediate and long-term benefits in the academic and professional areas.
“This training equipped me with practical skills in genomic and phenotypic data analysis, genome-wide association studies, and modern breeding tools that directly support my MSc research and future career as a plant breeder.”
Irene Mughi, a VACS PhD scholar based at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, also working on pigeon pea, reflected on the value of the training as follows: “This training is a wonderful experience which enhanced my technical skills as well as my confidence as a scientist. It was tailored specifically to meet the goals of my research, focused on pigeon pea, and came at the right time in helping me build my skills in communicating research results and in analyzing breeding data using computational tools. I am now more confident in applying my skills to my own work, in addition to assisting colleagues and leading future training.”
Marvelline Chifamba, another VACS fellow from Zimbabwe, studying for her MSc degree at Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, highlighted how the hands-on training strengthened her confidence in applying modern breeding tools and data analysis to support crop improvement efforts in her home country (watch the recording).
Their experiences demonstrate the lasting impact of investing in capacity development. By equipping early-career scientists with advanced analytical and breeding skills, the VACS Capacity initiative is creating a multiplier effect, enabling participants to transfer knowledge within their institutions, strengthen national breeding programs, and accelerate agricultural innovation across Africa.
Building a continental community of practice
The workshops also created additional opportunities for continued collaboration among the participant researchers from 10 different African countries. These collaborations extended beyond institutional, country, and disciplinary borders to address current production and breeding needs, facilitate information exchange, and develop professional networks that will be sustained beyond the workshops. This growing community of plant breeders’ relationships and networks lay the foundation for stronger regional collaboration and future joint research efforts on crops that are critical to Africa’s food systems.
With the growing emphasis on data-driven approaches in breeding programs, these continental collaborations will be critical to sharing common challenges and bringing innovations to farmers more quickly.
A shared vision for Africa’s food future
The VACS Capacity demonstrates that agricultural transformation begins with people. While improved crop varieties remain central to strengthening food systems, their development depends on skilled scientists capable of integrating biological knowledge with advanced analytical tools. By building Africa’s next generation of plant breeders, CIMMYT, Cornell University, and partners are helping build the scientific capacity needed to deliver resilient, nutritious, and climate-smart crops for millions of smallholder farmers.
Africa’s agricultural transformation will depend not only on improved crop varieties but also on the scientists capable of developing them. By investing in young plant breeders today, the VACS Capacity Project is helping build a continent-wide community of researchers equipped to harness data, innovation, and collaboration to strengthen food and nutrition security for generations to come.
About the VACS Capacity Project
The Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) Capacity Project is a collaborative initiative that strengthens Africa’s scientific capacity by equipping early-career plant breeders and researchers with advanced skills in modern breeding, quantitative genetics, digital data management, and genomic analysis. Through strategic partnerships and hands-on training, the project supports the development of climate-resilient, nutritious, and productive opportunity crops that contribute to sustainable agrifood systems across Africa.
Led by CIMMYT in partnership with Cornell University, ILRI, IITA, WACCI, World Vegetable Center, ICRISAT, Iowa State University, and other partners, the project is investing in the next generation of African scientists who will drive crop innovation and food security across the continent.
