October 5-9, 2008: Banana 2008 conference to be held in Mombasa, Kenya

    | September 22, 2008

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    Small-scale farmers and farmers’ groups, banana researchers, and major industry players will gather in Mombasa, Kenya, from October 5-9, for a pan-African conference that will be the first of its kind. The theme of the conference, known simply as Banana 2008, is: “Banana and plantain in Africa: Harnessing international partnerships to increase research impact.”

    The conference will explore the breadth of the banana industry in Africa, including disease control, seed improvement, and the development of local and regional markets. Of particular interest are farmers’ groups and cooperatives that provide loans to support banana production and new markets, and entrepreneurs involved in innovative income-generating banana activities. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is organizing the event. A grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Agricultural Development Initiative will support the participation of 50 small-scale farmers and regional entrepreneurs

    For more information about Banana 2008, visit: http://www.banana2008.com/cms/details/index_details.aspx.