FDN #44 Transforming Africa’s Agriculture through Enhancing Commercialization of Agricultural Research Products The case of High Iron Beans Technology By : FARA TAAT Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (CTDO) and High Iron Beans (HIB) Compact Citation: Mabeya J., Kamanda J., and Onyango P., Eshetu S., Bheenick K., Munoko K., and Abugri B. (2020). Transforming Africa’s Agriculture through Enhancing Commercialization of High Iron Beans Research Products: The case of High Iron Beans Technology. FARA Dissemination Notes FDN 44. Pp 1-8 FARA encourages fair use of this material. Proper citation is requested Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) 12 Anmeda Street, Roman Ridge PMB CT 173, Accra, Ghana Tel: +233 302 772823 / 302 779421 Fax: +233 302 773676 Email: Website: www.faraafrica.org : www.faradatainforms.faraafrica. org Join the network: https://faraafrica.community/taat_cdto/join Design By: FARA Knowledge Management, Learning & Communications Unit (publications@ faraafrica.org) About FARA The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is the apex continental organisation responsible for coordinating and advocating for agricultural research-for-development. (AR4D). It serves as the entry point for agricultural research initiatives designed to have a continental reach or a sub-continental reach spanning more than one sub-region. FARA serves as the technical arm of the African Union Commission (AUC) on matters concerning agricultural science, technology and innovation. FARA has provided a continental forum for stakeholders in AR4D to shape the vision and agenda for the sub-sector and to mobilise themselves to respond to key continent-wide development frameworks, notably the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). FARA’s vision is to “Reduced poverty in Africa as a result of sustainable broad-based agricultural growth and improved livelihoods, particularly of smallholder and pastoral enterprises” its mission is the “Creation of broad-based improvements in agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets by strengthening the capacity for agricultural innovation at the continental-level”; its Value Proposition is the “Strengthening Africa’s capacity for innovation and transformation by visioning its strategic direction, integrating its capacities for change and creating an enabling policy environment for implementation”. FARA’s strategic direction is derived from and aligned to the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A), which is in turn designed to support the realization of the CAADP vision. Disclaimer “The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of FARA or its members. The designations employed in this publication and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FARA concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers”. Background The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), IITA, and the Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (Alliance) organized a technical webinar on August 19, 2020, as part of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Program of the Feed Africa initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). . FARA is leading the Enabler Compact for Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (CDTO) complementing the commodity compacts, such as the High Iron Bean (HIB) led by Alliance through the Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA). PABRA acts as a process facilitator in the delivery of the proven bean technologies at scale. FARA has so far supported the commodity compacts through training of trainers (TOT) for Innovation Platforms (IPs) facilitators to help establish IPs as the main model for operationalizing TAAT interventions on the ground. In addition, the CDTO Enabler Compact is supporting the compacts develop modular outreach materials for scaling of technologies within these local innovation platforms. Instruments have also been developed to assist the IPs identify their capacity development needs. Brief overview of the High Iron Beans (HIB) Value chain under TAAT High Iron Beans is one of the commodity value chains supported under TAAT. The HIB Value Chain compact aims at increasing the HIB productivity from 0.8 to 1.2 MT/ha for bush beans and 1.5 to 2.5 MT/ha for climbing beans, produce additional 800,000 MT of HIB in target countries, create access to seed, growing and consuming HIB for 2 million households. Besides increasing productivity and creating access to seeds, the project using the “Commodity Corridor Approach” works at enhancing business opportunities and investments for the youth through inputs distribution and access to markets and value addition for grain. Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe are the target countries for large scale deployment of the HIB technologies. Across the eight countries, 31 bio-fortified HIB varieties have been released by the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) to ensure that smallholder farmers have access to these HIB technologies, for scaling up and commercialization. The technologies released include: Kenya, four varieties (Angaza, Nyota, Faida, Metameta), Uganda, 5 (Narobean 1, Narobean 2, Narobean 3, Narobean 4c, Narobean 5C), in Tanzania, 3 (Jesca, Selian 14, Selian 15), in Burundi, 3 (MAC 44, RWV 1129, Moore88002), in DR Congo, 5 (MAC 44, HM 21-7, RWR 2154, Namulenga, RWV 1129, MAC 44), in Rwanda, 5 (RWV 2269, RWV 2887, RWV 2361, RWV 3316, MAC44 ), in Zimbabwe, 3 (NUA45, Cherry, Sweet Violet) and in Malawi, 3 (NUA 35, NUA 45, NUA 59). The good agricultural practices (GAPS) and southern Africa (East & Central Africa promoted by the intervention include, seed Research Network (ECABREN), and Southern dressing, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Africa Bean Research Network (SABRN). practices, mechanization, use of organic and inorganic fertilizer application, pest and The Bean Corridor approach is widely adopted disease management, use of herbicides as in the eight countries in implementation well as post-harvest management. of market-driven transformation of rural The target countries have continued to agriculture. It focuses on “bean flow” successfully achieve wide adoption of business activities along the value chain, and the technologies by following different establishment of HIB technology delivery implementation mechanisms including, platforms which implement specific country leveraging existing PABRA partnerships work plans. in two bean research networks in eastern Business Opportunities Identified in the High Iron Bean Value Chain The Bean Corridor approach is stimulating a number of business opportunities along the bean value chain including access to better seed by farmers, and creation of investment and job opportunities along the bean value chain. The “bean corridors” are characterized by three major hubs: production, distribution and consumption hubs (Figure 1). Figure 1: Business Opportunities in the HIB production, distribution and consumption hubs In the production hubs large volumes of beans are produced and supplied to distribution hubs, which include product distribution centers, aggregation centers, warehouses, storage points, exchanges services in order to distribute beans to consumers; and finally from distribution hub the products are distributed to consumption hubs. Throughout this path are business opportunities identified especially for youth and women including input provision, processing, packaging, distribution, retailing, transportation, warehousing, bean grain dealings etc. The technology with a potential for commercialization The intended goal for commercialization of ha and suitability in the arid and semi-arid HIB is to reduce malnutrition levels through lands (ASALs) and cold dry highlands. From addressing the nutritional well-being of nutritional perspective Nyota grain has high consumers. Among the technologies iron content (>95 ppm) and high zinc content released, Nyota HIB is one of the varieties with (>39ppm) and has low phytic acid (meaning high potential for commercialization. Some low flatulency upon consumption). Further, of the key attributes of the variety (Figure 2) Nyota grain is fast cooking compared to include maturity within 60-70 days (less than most beans and good for making bean flour. three months), production of 1.4 to 2.2 MT/ Figure 2: The Nyota HIB crop and grain The key factors contributing to the successful organizations for awareness creation, adoption and commercialization of the seed distribution and grain marketing and HIB technology include: supportive county strong private sector partnership for seed governments, organized farmers groups and production and distribution, agro-inputs cooperatives, experience in production and distribution and grain offtaking. marketing of beans, active development The Business path-ways towards commercialization of High Iron Bean The Bean Corridor Approach is a platform business ecosystem for improved incomes which aims at eliminating bottlenecks in the and livelihoods. The Bean Corridor Approach bean value chain, helps improve the business provides multiple opportunities for business environment, and links all the stakeholders (Figure 3) particularly for youth and women (public and private) in an enhanced bean towards realizing this objective. Figure 3: The business path way towards commercialization in the HIB value chain The different value chain nodes/hubs marketing of HIB beans as they address the (production, distribution and consumption) unique issues within each node. Linking them have business opportunities in collaboration with the right markets such as processors, with different actors including private sector. restaurants and organized consumer groups It also supports particularly, women and and financial, insurance and information youth (including young women) to tap into sources could revamp business benefits for the business opportunities at the stages the agro-entrepreneurs. of production, distribution, processing and Experience from the field Kaplomboi Rotu Farmers’ Cooperative Society that acreage the Cooperative expected to from Bomet County, Kenya with a total harvest 100 MT of grain for sale to a major number of 306 members (201 women and grain offtaker and in the local market within 105 male), planted approximately 130 acres the County. Some of the harvest would be of Nyota bean variety during the off season cleaned, dried and reserved for use as seed period of June to September 2020. From by the members in the subsequent season. Figure 4: Nyota HIB variety in the field Contact address: If you are interested in growing High Iron Bean, please contact the following institutions and people: Mr. Justin Mabeya (CIAT) via J.Machini@cgiar.org If you want to learn more about High Iron Beans production please visit the following sites: http://www.pabra-africa.org/ and https://ciat.cgiar.org/ Acknowledgment: This outreach promotional material is developed by Justin Mabeya, Josey Kamanda and Patricia Onyango (Alliance), Dr. Samson Eshetu (AFAAS), Krishan Bheenick (FARA). Karen Munoko (FARA) and Benjamin Abugri (FARA) through the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Programme of the Feed Africa initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).