The problem addressed in this paper is the challenge of moving from formulating policy goals to achieving the promised results. The purpose is to assess the possible role of innovation in agriculture as a way of contributing towards achieving the Malabo Declaration commitments and the zero hunger Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) in six African countries. Since the SDGs are high on both international and many national agendas, there is a need to increase our knowledge of how to move beyond formulating goals. The approach includes both quantitative and qualitative data from a multisite research and development project. Moving from promises in relation to policy goals such as SDG2 and the Malabo Declaration to actions that make a difference at local level is a challenging task, and COVID-19 has added negatively to that challenge. Technological and institutional innovations exist that have the potential to improve the agricultural productivity, food security, and income levels of smallholder men and women farmers. However, innovation processes are hindered by barriers related to governmental, economic, knowledge-based, socio-cultural, and resource-based factors. To overcome these barriers, governance needs to go further than defining goals, and proceed to the next step of establishing effective implementation mechanisms that ensure the promised result.

Direct-seeded rice offers multiple advantages, including lower labour costs and a reduced CO2 footprint. However, the risk of flooding during germination and at the early seedling and vegetative stages is high. Therefore, the capacity for anaerobic germination in waterlogged soils, as well as tolerance to partial and complete submergence, are both essential. It remains unclear whether anaerobic germination and flood tolerance are linked or if they act independently in the environment. Therefore, it is timely to investigate the relationship between these two traits in the context of progressing climate change. We investigated the submergence tolerance of 4-week-old plants of three African landraces, which had previously been shown to possess anaerobic germination capacity. Additionally, we included one submergence-sensitive check and two tolerant checks. These six genotypes were evaluated at three time points: initially (prior to submergence), after three days of submergence, and at the time of desubmergence following 29 days of submergence. We measured survival, key photosynthetic traits (leaf gas films, underwater net photosynthesis, chlorophyll concentration), and carbohydrate reserves. We found that the African landraces tolerant to anaerobic germination all outlived the submergence-sensitive check, ‘IR42,’ during 29 days of complete submergence. Moreover, all tested genotypes exhibited significant declines over the 29 days of submergence in gas film thickness, underwater net photosynthesis, leaf chlorophyll concentration, and leaf water-soluble carbohydrates and starch. However, no significant differences were observed among the genotypes. The underlying mechanisms of anaerobic germination tolerance in the three African landraces remain unknown, as they do not possess the gene Anaerobic Germination 1 (AG1). Furthermore, it is unclear whether the three genotypes contain the gene Submergence 1 (SUB1); however, SUB1 confers submergence tolerance only and does not provide tolerance to anaerobic germination. Based on the present study, we cannot rule out the possibility that the novel anaerobic germination tolerance observed in the three African landraces is somehow linked to submergence tolerance as well. A thorough bioinformatic analysis is therefore needed to further characterize these landraces.

This study explores the factors influencing consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for novel, healthy, and locally produced food products in East Africa, focusing on sensory experiences and packaging design. Conducted in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, the research includes two complementary studies: Study A examines sensory evaluations (taste, texture, aroma, color, and general acceptance) as predictors of WTP, while Study B assesses the impact of visual packaging features (e.g., typography, illustrations, and product windows) on consumer perceptions and WTP. Study A highlights that general acceptance (GA) is the strongest predictor of WTP, driven primarily by taste, texture, and aroma, while visual sensory cues play a secondary role. In contrast, Study B demonstrates that packaging design features, such as product visibility and ingredient-focused imagery, significantly influence WTP, with health messaging increasing perceived value but locality cues reducing it, likely due to cultural biases against packaged local products. The results reveal a critical difference: WTP is more stable and predictable in sensory evaluations but more volatile in response to packaging designs, driven by consumer expectations. These findings underscore the importance of aligning sensory and visual attributes to understand consumer expectations and enhance WTP for innovative food products in emerging markets.

Soil salinity significantly limits rice production in Africa, necessitating the development of salt-tolerant varieties. This study evaluated 206 rice genotypes (201 from Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and 5 standard checks from IRRI) for seedling-stage salinity tolerance. Thirteen genotypes were further characterized under salinity stress, including eight from ESA and five tolerant and sensitive checks. Salinity reduced both root and shoot dry weights across genotypes. Spearman’s correlation identified sodium content, Na⁺: K⁺ ratio, and leaf temperature at later stress stages as strongly associated with salinity tolerance. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that Na⁺: K⁺ ratio, root and shoot dry weights, and shoot length were key contributors to tolerance, accounting for 56.95% of total variation. Based on these traits, genotypes were grouped as tolerant, moderately tolerant, or sensitive. Six genotypes (Intsindagira Bigega, K5, SATO 1, Sukari, Terimbele (LL 29), and ZX 117) showed moderate tolerance and distinct phenotypic traits, making them promising candidates for breeding programs. These moderately tolerant genotypes exhibited distinct characteristics compared to sensitive checks, for example; shoot length, root length, low Na⁺: K⁺ ratio, root dry weight and shoot dry weight. These genotypes could be potential candidates for future breeding programs aimed at enhancing the salinity tolerance of rice varieties. Further research, including comprehensive genotypic screening and field evaluation, is recommended to deepen the understanding of the underlying mechanisms in order to validate the current results for further applications. Graphical abstract

Background: Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies remain important nutritional challenges, particularly where common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important dietary staple. Understanding the genetic basis of seed micronutrient accumulation can facilitate development of nutritionally improved cultivars. This study aimed to identify genomic regions and marker–trait associations associated with seed Fe and Zn concentrations in a genetically diverse collection of common bean germplasm from Burundi using genome-wide association analysis. Results: Significant phenotypic variation was observed for both micronutrients, with Fe showing greater dispersion than Zn. Broad-sense heritability ranged from 0.73 to 0.81 for Fe and 0.70–0.81 for Zn, while genotypic effects accounted for 85.24% and 84.61% of total variation, respectively. Fe and Zn exhibited moderate positive phenotypic (rp = 0.58) and genetic (rg = 0.55) correlations, indicating potential for simultaneous improvement. Principal component analysis revealed pronounced differentiation between Andean ( n = 62) and Mesoamerican ( n = 101) gene pools, with PC1 explaining 44.12% of molecular variation. Linkage disequilibrium remained extended, with predicted r² = 0.2717 at 250 kb. Genome-wide association analysis identified no SNPs reaching the Bonferroni threshold for either trait. For Fe, 20 SNPs were significant under the Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate, and 16 Fe-associated SNPs were retained for detailed interpretation and candidate-gene analysis. These loci were distributed across Pv01, Pv04, Pv06, and Pv07 and individually explained 12.61–16.28% of phenotypic variance. In contrast, no significant or suggestive marker–trait associations were detected for Zn. LD-informed candidate-gene analysis identified 145 unique putative candidate genes within ± 100-kb regions surrounding the 16 Fe-associated SNPs. These genes represented diverse functional categories, including metal/mineral homeostasis, signalling, transcriptional regulation, redox processes, protein processing, RNA-related processes, and photosynthesis/chloroplast functions. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate substantial genetic variation and complex genetic control of seed Fe and Zn accumulation in Burundi common bean germplasm. The identified Fe-associated SNPs and candidate genes provide useful genomic resources for Fe biofortification, whereas the absence of detectable Zn associations highlights the potential value of genomic selection and multi-locus approaches for Zn improvement. Independent validation and functional characterization will be necessary to confirm the stability and biological relevance of the identified Fe-associated regions.