BNFB helped incentivize and build the capacity of national and community supportive agencies including training institutions, non-governmental organizations, seed companies and agro-processing companies as well as individuals. In total, 577 (263 female) change agents (283 Nigerians and 294 Tanzanians) have been equipped with the capacity to design and implement gender sensitive projects on orange-fleshed sweetpotato, pro-vitamin maize, and high-iron beans. BNFB is led by the International Potato Center (CIP), and is implemented through a consortium of partners with diverse expertise: the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) – high iron beans; the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) – pro-vitamin A (orange) maize; CIP – orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP), advocacy and capacity development; the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) – vitamin A (yellow) cassava, pro-vitamin A (orange) maize; HarvestPlus – scaling up biofortification at country level; Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) – responsible for policy engagement and advocacy at regional level; the Governments of Nigeria and Tanzania, and a range of national implementing partners from public, private and civil society organizations. The project leverages other projects and on-going initiatives on biofortified crops. BNFB advocates for increased investment in biofortified staples as a sustainable way to combat hidden hunger, especially among young children under the age of five years and women of reproductive age. BNFB also focuses on strengthening the enabling environment for increased investments in biofortified crops and developing institutional and individual capacities to produce and consume biofortified crops. The portfolio for BNFB includes: yellow cassava, high iron beans, orange maize and OFSP , BNFB will continue: • Implementing national and regional advocacy strategies for increased policy engagement on the development and implementation of policies, strategies, and plans that prioritize support to biofortification to accelerate scaling to hit the population and beyond; • Strengthening national policy platforms and promoting evidence-based support for biofortification; • Strengthening capacities of national and community stakeholder agencies to develop and implement technically strong, cost-effective and gender sensitive investments along the value chains of OFSP, PVA maize, vitamin A cassava and high iron beans that drive uptake of biofortified crops; • Facilitating crop specific and seed systems platforms to spearhead production and marketing of biofortified crops at community level and help bring together all stakeholders along their value chains; and • Publishing findings, documenting processes and lessons learned to contribute to global understanding of scaling up approaches.
Authors: Building Nutritious Food Baskets Project
Contributors: Maryann Mwangi, Joyce Maru
Pages: 4
Publication Date: September 18, 2017