Benin hosts regional climate change research centre

This followed a major conference on biotic stresses, climate change and agricultural production in Cotonou, Bénin, held earlier this month.The centre, which is under the auspices of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) has IITA, the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Bénin (INRAB), AfricaRice, Bioversity, the French Agricultural […]

This followed a major conference on biotic stresses, climate change and agricultural production in Cotonou, Bénin, held earlier this month.
The centre, which is under the auspices of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) has IITA, the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Bénin (INRAB), AfricaRice, Bioversity, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and the University of Abomey Calavi (UAC) as partners but it is also open to other national agricultural research systems in the West and Central African bloc.
The centre was inaugurated by the Republic of Bénin’s Minister of Agriculture, Madame Fatouma Amadou Djibril; CORAF/WECARD Director General, Dr Ibet Outman Issa, and IITA Board of Trustees Chair, Prof Bruce Coulman.
 The inauguration of the centre of excellence aligns with IITA’s refreshed strategy which seeks to “establish the IITA Cotonou station as a biodiversity center and a leading research and training center providing sustainable solutions to crop biotic stresses linked with climate change in West Africa in partnership with CORAF/WECARD, West African universities, CGIAR centers, and international agricultural research centers (IARCs) in the region.”
Already, IITA has taken over the rehabilitated forest of Drabo Gbo in the Republic of Benin as a field research station linked to the Cotonou biodiversity centre.
IITA Board Chair, Dr Bruce Coulman, explained that the need to establish a centre of excellence was based on the fact that climate change would affect agricultural production and productivity and pest population, saying there was the need to develop strategies to mitigate this challenge.
“This facility will attract global attention to this very important topic,” he said.