AfricaBlight Network and BOLD project launched to protect potato crops

New agricultural initiatives have been launched in East Africa to combat potato diseases and improve crop resilience. At the 13th World Potato Congress in Naivasha, Kenya, partners officially inaugurated the AfricaBlight Network. This African-led collaboration aims to coordinate responses to late blight, a disease caused by Phytophthora infestans that can destroy crops within days and costs the global sector between USD 3 billion and USD 7 billion annually.

Simultaneously, the International Potato Center (CIP) and the Crop Trust have expanded the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) project in Kenya. This initiative focuses on utilizing genetic traits from wild potato relatives, originally from the Andes, to breed new varieties capable of withstanding rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and pests. The project also aims to strengthen seed systems to ensure these resilient, high-yield varieties reach farmers across East Africa.