The Southern Africa Bean Research Network (SABRN) is a regional bean network consisting of National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and their partners in 11 countries in the Southern Africa region. This network is part of the PABRA consortium along with the Eastern and Central Africa Bean Research Network (ECABREN) and the West and Central Bean Research Network (WECABREN), CIAT and a number of donor organisations. SABRN is an affiliate of the Southern Africa Development Community's Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Unit (SADC/FANR) which provides policy guidance and oversight.

SEE ALSO | SABRN achievements | SABRN team

SABRN brings together African universities, NGOs, and the private sector as well as government research and development (R&D) institutions to share information and expertise in the area of bean breeding and dissemination. Chitedze Agricultural Research Station in Lilongwe, Malawi is a key partner, hosting the SABRN office and conducting collaborative research and capacity building in the area of plant breeding. Other activities carried out in the station include: coordinating regional bean trials, sharing released improved bean varieties (contributed by some NARS breeding programmes, the private sector, SABRN and CIAT) among different countries and supporting emerging national breeding programmes.

SABRN is working on strengthening the national capacity of bean research in Southern Africa. It identifies, develops and deploys national expertise in a range of areas such as plant breeding, farmer participatory research, seed dissemination, agroenterprise development, and integrated pest and disease management (IPDM).

CIDA and SDC are the main donor organizations that contribute to the funding of SABRN. The participating countries of SABRN are: Angola, DR Congo (South), Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania (South), Zambia and Zimbabwe.

OUR PURPOSE

SABRN's goal is to help rural communities build sustainable livelihoods through competitive agriculture, healthy agro-ecosystems and rural innovations in Southern Africa. It does this by employing participatory research methods which give rural people a chance to take an active role in devising better ways to improve crop productivity, build rural agro enterprises, manage soil fertility, conduct soil mapping and control pests and diseases.

OUR AIMS

  • Select, test and disseminate marketable bean varieties of bush and climbing beans that improve food and health and address the region's local and export markets.
  • Test and disseminate improved agronomic practices for the management of soil and water for increased and lower-cost production of marketable bean varieties.
  • Refine and distribute post-harvest technologies, to add value and expand bean markets.
  • Package and disseminate effective integrated pest management (IPM) options for the major pests and diseases of marketable bean varieties.
  • Work with multiple partners to improve the availability and accessibility of good quality seed of improved and preferred marketable bean varieties.
  • Work with partners to make promotional materials and information more widely available in member countries for increased use of bean-based technologies.
  • Strengthen human and physical capacity of partners to innovate and to undertake research and development activities in their institutions.

SABRN, Chitedze Agricultural Research Station, P.O. Box 158 Lilongwe, Malawi Tel +265-1-707387, Fax +265-1-707278, email r.chirwa@cgiar.org

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