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The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) was
founded in 1967 with a mandate for improving food production in
the humid tropics and to develop sustainable production
systems. It became the first African link in the worldwide
network of agricultural research centers supported by the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR).
IITA is governed by an international board of trustees and is
staffed by scientists and other professionals from over 30
countries, and approximately 1300 support staff. Staff are
located at the lbadan campus, and also at stations in other
parts of Nigeria, and in Benin, Cameroon, C?te d'Ivoire, and
Uganda. Others are located at work sites in several countries
throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
IITA's mission is to enhance the food security, income, and
well-being of resource-poor people in sub-Saharan Africa by
conducting research and related activities to increase
agricultural production, improve food systems, and sustainably
manage natural resources, in partnership with national and
international stakeholders.
IITA conducts research, germplasm conservation, training, and
information exchange activities in partnership with regional
bodies and national programs including universities, NGOs, and
the private sector. The research agenda addresses crop
improvement, plant health, and resource and crop management
within a food systems framework, targeted at the identified
needs of four major agroecological zones: the dry savanna, the
moist savanna, the humid forests, and the midaltitude
savanna. Research focuses on smallholder cropping and
postharvest systems and on the following food crops: cassava,
cowpea, maize, plantain and banana, soybean, and yam.
Cosponsored by the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and International Fund
for Agricultural Development, the CGIAR is an informal
association of over 40 governments and about 15 international
organizations and private foundations. The CGIAR provides the
main financial support for IITA and the 15 other Future Harvest
centers around the world, whose collective goal is to improve
food security, eradicate poverty, and protect the environment in
developing countries.
Website: "http://www.iita.org/"
[Summary provided by the IITA.]
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