About #APBAConf2023 & APBA
What is #APBAConf2023?
The African Plant Breeders Association (APBA) Conference was initiated in 2019 to disseminate the latest knowledge and achievements in the field of agriculture, to enhance research and development (R&D) for sustainable agriculture production systems in Africa. APBA conference brings together around 400 international scientists and experts representing different national and international institutions (CGIAR research centers), universities, research institutions, private companies, donors, etc.). It is a good opportunity for plant breeders, researchers, students, private companies as well as national agriculture policy makers to share their knowledge and discuss their research findings and recent achievements. Such interactions will help in preparing strategies and partnerships to tackle future challenges in R&D for the African continent and open opportunities for potential collaborative actions. Two previous APBA conferences have been successfully organized in Accra, Ghana (2019) and Kigali, Rwanda (2021). Both events significantly contributed to the promotion of international collaborations in basic, fundamental, applied and strategic research areas particularly in the field of crop improvement.
What is APBA?
The African Plant Breeders Association (APBA) is an initiative of full-fledged scientists, students, and professionals in Africa from higher education institutions (HEIs), research organizations and private companies who felt the need to change the narrative of crop improvement and the seed sector in Africa. It is a forum dedicated to building capacities, problem-solving, resource mobilization, and long-term strategic development of the agricultural sector in Africa through effective plant breeding programs and provision of tangible solutions to governments, seed companies, nongovernmental organizations and farmers.
Visit APBAObjectives
Promote scientific plant breeding, and related research, through purposeful scientific discussion and communication in an independent forum where ideas, knowledge and experiences can be shared in an interdisciplinary manner.
Promote and foster the growth of plant breeders in Africa, and stimulate and nurture the spirit of discovery and technological innovation in order to facilitate regional and international scientific integration.
Encourage, promote and coordinate projects or activities of major national, regional and international interest, while at the same time facilitating the exchange of expertise and experience among breeders through sabbaticals, regular meetings, symposia, scientific and popular seminars, workshops, courses and congresses.
Engage with government and international agencies on behalf of the membership of the Association, with respect to the issues of registration and quality control and to promote scientific research, development, as well as science education and the dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Identify eminent scientists/plant breeders of outstanding talent in Africa and globally, for advising on African national and regional plant breeding research and development issues, policies and programmes.
Enter into and foster relations with any professional societies, associations, bodies as well as research centres and institutions which, from time to time, APBA shall deem to be having similar goals and objectives as the Association.
Advocate for proper, safe, and ethical exploitation of science and technology in plant breeding for national development in Africa.
Establish a regular award scheme for recognition of outstanding achievement in African plant breeding.