Yaounde: Stakeholders enforce commitment to promote beans rich in iron.

It took place at the headquarters of Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, IRAD, in Nkolbison, Yaounde. It held within the framework of TAAT HIB phase II project. 

The meeting had as objectives to raise awareness and understand the TAAT programme in general, learn about the High Iron Bean (HIB) component of the TAAT programme and that of Cameroon in particular, explore and seek commitments from potential and relevant partners for the improvement of the iron biofortified bean value chain in Cameroon and discuss the involvement of stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities.

Giving an overview of high iron bean promotion, dissemination and grain production, Dr Hortense Mafouasson from Alliance Biodiversity & CIAT, said beans, largely produced and consumed by rural, income poor farmers, is source of income for small farmers who grow it.

She the promotion of iron rich beans has been done through brochures, partnerships and platforms to deliver research results, among others. 

Dr Mafouasson also mentioned the fact that stakeholders have to move beans production forward through constant collaboration and development of new high iron beans varieties. 

She noted that they are also encouraging and capacitating seed producers on effective certification of their seeds.

While opening the workshop, the Deputy Director General of IRAD, Dr Francis Ngome, representing the Director General, Dr Noe Woin, saluted the collaboration between IRAD and Alliance Biodiversity and CIAT/PABRA.

“Under this collaboration, which dates back more than fifteen years, and which has provided considerable scientific and financial support for research activities, several activities have been carried out by IRAD researchers on various aspects, namely: agronomy, integrated crop management, variety development, seed production, capacity building for players in the sector (producers, seed companies, processors), nutrition, socioeconomics and mechanization,” he said. 

Dr Ngome continued that: “Since 2006, hundreds of bean lines have been introduced and tested in the agro-ecological conditions of our regions, with tangible results including the development of dozens of bean varieties, the adoption of several integrated crop management techniques, and the production of several high nutritional value bean products, including the iron biofortified bean varieties we are discussing today”. 

He disclosed that the objective of the TAAT programme “is to build capacity and mechanisms for scaling up proven technologies for the transformation of African agriculture by increasing productivity in nine priority intervention areas or commodity value chains in several African countries”. 

“IRAD and Alliance for Biodiversity and CIAT will lead the implementation of the TAAT Compact on the high-iron bean value chain in Cameroon, in collaboration with extension services. For sustainable processing, TAAT should facilitate greater private sector participation in the production, distribution and processing of agricultural products and strengthen producers' organisations so that they can access remunerative markets for their products,” he said.

Improving nutrition, food security of targeted households

The IRAD Deputy DG said the objectives of the component of the iron biofortified bean value chain are: “to contribute to increasing the production area and productivity of iron biofortified beans, improve commercial opportunities and investment in this sector, generate income (including for young people and women), and improve the nutrition and food security of targeted households”. 

These objectives, he added, will be achieved through multi-stakeholder partnerships to achieve efficient and more predictable seed demand and by harnessing the pull of the market to address the challenges posed by the seed system. 

“This workshop is an ideal opportunity for all of us to identify and propose actions to be taken to improve the promotion of high-iron beans in Cameroon,” Dr Ngome said.  

Talking to The Guardian Post, Justin Mabeya Machini, TAAT HIB Compact Coordinator at Alliance Biodiversity, said high iron beans have been developed by the Alliance for Biodiversity International & CIAT formerly called International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, through the beans programme called Pan-African Beans Research Alliance in Africa, PABRA.

“So these varieties are rich in iron and zinc, and malnutrition in Africa is a major problem, especially in relation to iron and zinc deficiency. This has a negative impact on the health of children, women, and men,” he said.

Mabeya added that: “The focus on high iron beans is to ensure that we make a contribution to the reduction of malnutrition in Africa, in terms of access to micro-nutrients, iron and zinc and also in terms of availability of protein that is necessary for the health of people of all ages”.

The meeting brought together participants from IRAD, SeedEqual, seed producers, and others within the beans value chain.