Multi-year partnership aims to strengthen breeding capacity and deliver breakthrough crop varieties for 30 million smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa. Photo credit: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Bayer today announced a comprehensive research collaboration agreement focused on accelerating agricultural innovation and building scientific capacity across sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership, which runs through 2028, will combine IITA’s globally recognized expertise in tropical crop improvement and smallholder farming systems with Bayer’s global breeding technologies to develop climate-resilient, high-yielding, nutrient-dense crop varieties tailored to smallholder farming systems.
The collaboration targets seven priority crops critical to African food systems and livelihoods—maize, soybean, cowpea, cassava, yam, banana and plantain, and Bambara groundnut—with the shared objective of delivering varieties that achieve a minimum 25% yield advantage in farmers’ fields. This ambitious goal directly supports critical Sustainable Development Goals including food security, poverty reduction, improved nutrition, and climate adaptation. It is also aligned with the Gates Foundation’s goal: Enabling hundreds of millions of people to break from poverty, putting more countries on the path to prosperity.”
“This partnership represents a powerful model of co-innovation between the public and private sectors to address Africa’s most pressing agricultural challenges,” said Dr Bernard Vanlauwe, IITA Deputy Director General for Research for Development. “IITA brings decades of leadership in crop breeding, biotechnology, and farmer-centered research. By combining complementary strengths, we are accelerating the development of next-generation crop varieties while further strengthening scientific excellence across the continent. ”
The collaboration encompasses three strategic pillars:
- People Development: Through structured training and knowledge exchange, the partnership will deepen IITA’s expertise in genomic selection, molecular breeding, biotechnology integration with breeding, and data-driven decision-making. The initiative reinforces IITA’s role in developing a strong pipeline of skilled professionals capable of driving sustained agricultural innovation.
- Enabling Capabilities: Building on IITA’s established breeding networks, the partnership will strengthen IITA’s capacity in digital phenotyping, statistical modeling, and centralized breeding operations, enhancing the precision and efficiency of crop performance evaluation and variety development.
- Breakthrough Products: Joint efforts will focus on developing transformative crop varieties including biotech maize for West Africa, rust-resistant Asian soybean varieties, gene-edited insect-resistant cowpea, and disease-resistant banana breeding lines.
“Bayer is committed to supporting 100 million smallholder farmers in developing nations by 2030,” said Dr.JD Rossouw, Senior Vice President and Plant Breeding Lead at Bayer. “This collaboration with IITA exemplifies our dedication to building local capacity and co-creating solutions that deliver real impact for farming communities. By sharing our expertise and technologies, we’re helping accelerate the development of varieties that farmers need to thrive in changing climates.”
The partnership will provide up to $1.2 million in in-kind support from Bayer, including technical advisory services, training platforms, and access to advanced breeding tools. IITA will serve as the primary implementer, leveraging its research infrastructure and regional networks, with support from Gates Foundation through the Genetic Innovations Public-Private Partnerships platform.
Key innovation areas include:
- Integration of molecular tools and genomic selection into breeding workflows
- Advanced phenotyping platforms using drones and digital sensors
- Biotechnology and gene editing for trait development
- Data analytics and bioinformatics for breeding decisions
- Seed system digitization and mechanization
The collaboration builds on successful previous partnerships between IITA and Bayer, including the Modern Breeding Project and research on increasing genetic gains in cowpea. The initiative has potential to impact approximately 30 million smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa.
“By building on IITA’s long-standing leadership in biotechnology, crop breeding, and understanding of African agricultural systems, this collaboration with Bayer creates a powerful catalyst for innovation,” added Dr Leena Tripathi, IITA Genetic Innovation Director. “By integrating advanced genomic tools, gene editing, and data-driven breeding approaches with Bayer’s global expertise, this partnership will accelerate our ability to deliver high-performing, climate-resilient, and nutrient-dense crop varieties at greater speed and scale. Together, we will strengthen Africa’s scientific leadership while creating lasting impact for millions of smallholder farmers.
The collaboration aligns with Bayer’s vision for regenerative agriculture: produce more, restore nature, and scale regenerative agriculture practices globally.
Read more from IITA here.