Location and funding: The African Centre for Crop Improvement  (ACCI) is a University of KwaZulu-Natal centre, situated in the discipline of Plant Pathology, in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture.  Initial funding is from the Rockefeller Foundation.

Goal: To train about 50 plant breeders from Africa, in Africa, on African crops, aiming to impact on food security in the African countries, and development of disease and pest resistance, and drought tolerance, in critical food crops especially cereals (maize, sorghum, millet, finger millet, rice), tubers (cassava, sweet potato, potato) and legumes (cowpea, dry bean, pigeonpea, Bambarra groundnut).

Process: Each student spends two years in training at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, followed by three years of research in their home country, while working at a national research facility.

Strategic linkages   

• Rockefeller Foundation for initial fund and project support in-country

• Cornell University for internet based, live lectures and collaboration and project designs.

• National agricultural research institutions in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Botswana

• CGIAR organizations, such as ICRISAT, CIMMYT, IITA, IRRI, WARDA, CIAT, CIP, ICARDA, for genetic resources and provision of international lecturers and co-supervisors

• UNFAO, IPR-Netherlands, Weizmann Institute for international lecturers

• In South Africa: University of Cape Town, University of Free State, University of Pretoria, Agricultural Research Council, CSIR, Department of Science and Technology, East Coast Biotechnology Regional Innovation Centre, PlantBio and BioAfrica

Academic staff and their primary roles

Prof Mark Laing, Director, Plant pathologist

Prof Walter De Milliano, Plant pathologist: breeding sorghum, millet, finger millet and rice

Prof Antonio Llobell, Biotechnologist, molecular marker assisted selection

Dr Pangirai Tongoona, Agronomist: breeding maize

Dr Rob Melis, Agronomist: breeding legumes, cassava

Dr Paul Shanahan, Geneticist: breeding tuber crops

Ms Beulah John, Scientific communications, project management, grantsmanship