As countries seek ways of adding value to primary products, improve firms’ competitiveness, create jobs and explore new market opportunities, universities and research institutes have become the spotlight particularly as generators of knowledge that sparks innovation. Read more
Nairobi, 9th March 2017—An early stage innovator and scientists from the University of Cambridge, UK and the BecA-ILRI Hub in Nairobi visited BioInnovate Africa Offices at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya.
UGANDA: Uganda turns beasts into biogas – Reuters News Agency
TANZANIA: Making usa of dirty water – BBC World Service Science in action
Beans is the most important source of protein, iron and zinc source for resource poor communities in Eastern Africa. With a growing middle class and steady international market, canning beans has potential to become a major cash crop for farmers. However its production is hampered by lack of high quality seeds.
Presently it is estimated that less than 10% of industries in Eastern Africa treat their industrial and agro processing waste to any degree. This poses a serious health and environmental challenge to the growing population of the region. Bio-Innovate supported scientists across eastern Africa are working on innovative solutions that treat and convert such wastewaterintoenergy, and bio-fertilizer and re-use of the treated water..
Before the project begun, Banana Investment Limited was considered a bad neighbour just like 90% of factories in Eastern Africa. Read more
The Tanzania Minister for Communication, Science and Technology Prof. Makame Mbarawa on 28th April 2015 presided over the official opening of the SIDA funded wastewater Read more
Kenya and Tanzania are the world’s second and third largest producers of sisal, Agave sisalana, with a number of large plantation estates and processing factories. However, this high productivity is accompanied with huge amounts of waste. The sector is considered one of the highest waste sectors.
Sweet potato is the second most important tuber crop in Uganda and haspotential to provide food security to many resource poor rural homesteads, and in particular regions that traditionallyhave poor soils and whose weather partners have become erratic ostensibly due to climate change. Unlike other subsistence crops, it can stay in the ground after maturity for between three to five months, thereby providing food for families for much longer.
