On 25-28 February 2013, Bio-Innovate Program successfully held its first scientific conference that was attended by over 150 participants ranging from the Program’s implementing partners and other stakeholders, donor community, science, technology and innovation policy makers, and the private sector. More than 30 oral presentations were made in two parallel sessions covering crop productivity and climate change adaptability and waste management, innovation incubation and value addition and policy analysis while over 20 posters were exhibited during the three-day conference.

The Program would like to share some of the stories and proceedings from the forum:

Blog posts:      http://clippings.ilri.org/category/ilri/bioinnovate-ilri/
Photos:           http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilri/sets/72157632854943828/
Presentations: http://www.slideshare.net/ILRI/tag/bioinnovate
Conference daily newsletters: http://mahider.ilri.org/handle/10568/25191

Conference coverage by media in the region:

26 February 2013, Standard Digital Online: “Conference on Food Production Kicks off in Addis”: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000078180

25 Feb 2013, Aimable Twahirwa a freelance Science journalist, Rwanda “Agricultural biotechnology to serve the food security” (In French) http://www.afriquejet.com/201302252542/Les-biotechnologies-agricoles-au-service-de-la-securite-alimentaire.html

27 Feb 2013 Rwanda News Agency “Move underway to turn bio-technologies use for food security” http://www.rnanews.com/regional/6998-move-underway-to-turn-bio-technologies-use-for-food-security.

28 Feb 2013, Rwanda News Agency “Rwanda seek science, technology and innovation policies to sustain growth” http://www.rnanews.com/component/content/article/1-latest/7005-rwanda-seek-science-technology-and-innovation-policies-to-sustain-growth

25 Feb 2013, Andualem Sisay from New Business Ethiopia wrote “Ethiopia Hosts First Regional Bio-Innovate Conference” http://newbusinessethiopia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=892:ethiopia-host-first-regional-bio-innovative-conference-&catid=34:agri-business&Itemid=11

4 March 2013, Aregu Balleh, Freelance Science Writer, SciDev.Net, Ethiopia Environmental Journalists Association Board Chair, wrote on The Ethiopian Herald “Bio-Innovation: What it means for the African Economy” http://www.ethpress.gov.et/herald/index.php/herald/development/1553-bio-innovation-what-it-means-for-african-economy

26 March 2013, Mekonnen Teshome, Freelance Science Writer, SciDev.Net, Ethiopia wrote, “Bioscience should underpin African agriculture, meeting hears“ http://www.scidev.net/en/sub-suharan-africa/news/bioscience-should-underpin-african-agriculture-meeting-hears.html

Media Coverage from related pre-conference activities

11 March 2013, David Njagi, Business Daily, “New Bean Varieties Keep Wildlife Away from Farms.” http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/New-bean-varieties-keep-wildlife-away-from-farms/-/1248928/1717518/-/wfajda/-/index.html

17 March 2013, Christabel Ligami wrote in the East African, “EA Bean Farmers to Start Supplying Canning Industry” http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/EA-bean-farmers-to-start-supplying-canning-industry/-/2558/1722126/-/bgsimy/-/index.html