AATF and BioHeuris partner to target Africa’s agricultural challenges

A new partnership between the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and biotechnology firm BioHeuris is set to drive agricultural productivity in Africa through genome-edited crops, focusing initially on herbicide-tolerant sorghum. The two-year agreement will support research, regulatory approvals, and commercialization, aiming to provide smallholder farmers with innovative tools to enhance yields and combat key production challenges.

The collaboration will facilitate trials and market entry of improved sorghum varieties, with additional genome-edited crops, including herbicide-tolerant rice and wheat, under consideration. These efforts align with AATF’s mission to expand access to cutting-edge agricultural technologies for African farmers, addressing persistent threats like weed infestations that significantly reduce sorghum yields.

“We are thrilled to join forces with BioHeuris to tackle the pressing challenges of poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in Africa through the use of modern techniques such as genome editing for crop productivity,” said Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of AATF.

The partnership is poised to make a significant impact, as sorghum remains a staple food source for 300 million people across the continent. However, weed-related losses continue to hamper production, making herbicide tolerance a crucial trait for future crop varieties. BioHeuris, a biotechnology company specializing in genome editing, will lead the development of these advanced crops while identifying additional traits of interest, such as drought tolerance and enhanced nutrition.

Dr. Lucas Lieber, Executive Director at BioHeuris, emphasized that the partnership will prioritize regulatory-compliant countries such as Kenya for adaptation trials and commercialization. “This agreement will allow us to identify additional traits of interest such as drought tolerance or nutrition enhancement to explore during product development,” he stated.

Founded in 2003, AATF has been instrumental in improving food security in Africa by facilitating access to agricultural innovations. BioHeuris brings expertise in developing next-generation biotechnology solutions for sustainable farming. Together, the two organizations aim to drive transformative change, equipping African farmers with the tools needed to improve crop resilience and economic sustainability.