I.A.M - Magazine - Page 56
TAAT has catalyzed
regional integration
by harmonizing
seed systems and
agricultural policies…it
is more than a project.
It is a continental
movement.
PROJECT: Technologies for African
Agricultural Transformation (TAAT)
SECTOR: Agriculture
AREA: Continental
COMMITMENT: UA 52.7 million
In 2017, the AfDB launched the Technologies for African
Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Framework Program, a
Regional Public Good (RPG) financed under the ADF-14
Regional Operations Envelope. Rooted in the Bank’s Feed
Africa strategy, this bold agricultural revolution, has
emerged as a dynamic force, tackling one of Africa’s most
pressing agrarian challenges: low agricultural productivity.
With a clear mission to scale up proven technologies that
boost crop yields and livestock resilience, TAAT is
redefining how Africa feeds itself, as well as the world at
large.
By the end of TAAT I, more than 11 million farmers across
31 African countries had benefited from access to over 76
proven
agricultural
technologies. These
include
drought-tolerant maize, high-yielding rice, heat-resistant
wheat, improved livestock breeds, and aquaculture
innovations. The program, delivered through a network of
specialized “Compacts” in partnership with regional and
global research institutions, unlocked access to better
seeds, farming techniques, and knowledge, which have
helped bridge the gap between lab innovations and
farmers’ fields. Sudan and Ethiopia, for example, doubled
wheat production thanks to heat-tolerant varieties, while
Nigeria’s
aquaculture
sector
surged
through
cost-effective fish feed technologies.
A Continental Movement
TAAT is indeed, more than just a project. It is a continental
movement. Its regional approach ensures that
technologies transcend borders, making agriculture not
only more productive but also more resilient to climate
shocks. The initiative has catalyzed regional integration by
harmonizing seed systems and agricultural policies,
allowing farmers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, for
instance, to benefit from cross-border knowledge flows
and input distribution.
In communities like Kankan in Guinea, where traditional
crop yields once barely fed families, TAAT’s introduction of
high-yielding rice varieties and improved irrigation
techniques has doubled harvests and boosted household
incomes. Farmers report improved food security, more
children are staying in school, and there are more new
opportunities for women and youth in agro-processing
and input supply chains. Similar success stories are
unfolding in Rwanda, Benin, and Zambia, where
smallholder farmers are transitioning from subsistence
farming to producing surplus crops.
Climate-smart, high-impact
Looking ahead, the ripple effects of TAAT are expected to
deepen. As the program expands under TAAT II to reach
more than 40 million smallholder farmers this year, TAAT III
has already been prioritized as an RPG for financing in
2025 under the ADF-16 cycle.
This transformational project continues to deliver on its
promises to equip millions more with climate-smart,
high-impact technologies and driving Africa closer to food
sovereignty. With the Bank’s continued leadership, TAAT
stands as a powerful testament to how strategic regional
investments can transform livelihoods, lift communities,
and feed Africa.
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