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African researchers decided Wednesday in Bingerville (near Abidjan) to develop an action plan to fight cbadava disease, a "strategic plant", ensuring food security of half a billion people. Africans.
These researchers discussed the creation of "a service of enlightenment, a clear enough communication and funding: all articulated around a well-defined program to lead to a national plan", explained to AFP Dr. Justin Pita, executive director of the West African Virus Epidemiology (WAVE) program, focused on food security and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dr. Pita met US Billionaire Bill Gates on October 16 in Berlin, who pledged to support and fund "concrete actions of response" against the "brown streak of cbadava", a viral disease that could cause losses. yield of up to 90 to 100%. This disease, also called "cbadava Ebola", is moving towards West Africa after being identified in Central Africa.
Africa, the world's largest producer of cbadava
"Also, we are in front of our responsibilities, as researchers to propose to our African States, solutions through national and regional action plans against the progression of viral diseases of cbadava", underlined the Director of Research at the Ivorian Ministry of Scientific Research, Professor Pétronille Acray-Zengbe.
For the Ivorian scientist, "cbadava grown mainly by small farmers, (…) was long ignored by African researchers and consumers, who considered it the food of the poor", while "cbadava is also a culture that is resistant to climate change ".
Africa is the world's largest producer of this plant (57%), which is consumed by tubers, rich in carbohydrates and starch, but also leaves and starch (which looks more like a semolina), produced from the roots.
Strategic culture
Cbadava has emerged as a strategic crop for food security and poverty reduction on the continent. As a subsistence and cash crop for producers, it is a staple food for 500 million Africans.
In addition to Côte d'Ivoire, scientists came from ten countries: Ghana, Gabon, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Togo.
The WAVE program, headquartered in Bingerville, near Abidjan, advocates "a regional approach" to combat the disease.
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