The Network for the Genetic Improvement of Cowpea for Africa (NGICA) was formed in 2001 to benefit low-resource farmers and consumers in Africa. NGICA resulted from a meeting of nearly 50 cowpea stakeholders in Dakar, Senegal, sponsored by numerous donors and institutions, among them, the Rockefeller Foundation. Idah Sithole-Niang, of the University of Zimbabwe, Harare, and Larry Murdock, Purdue University, were selected as Co-Chairs of NGICA.

Since its inception, NGICA has worked, via newsletters, personal contacts, and by organizing and participating in meetings to:

1. define the overall task of creating and deploying genetically improved cowpeas (the Dakar Report, 2001)

2. identify related research needs (e.g., cowpea marketing and trade, food safety and environmental safety studies)

3. mobilize additional funding and talent to address various cowpea-related initiatives

4. strengthen linkages and communication among researchers and stakeholders

5. engage the private sector in the project, including obtaining access to physical materials (e.g. Bt proteins and genes)

6. deal with intellectual property issues.

With additional support from the Rockefeller Foundation during the past year, NGICA has begun working in partnership with the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) to develop a project to increase cowpea productivity and utilization in Africa.  Under that partnership and thanks to Rockefeller funding, Larry Murdock and administrative assistant Katy Ibrahim were able to work with the AATF leadership to plan and convene a meeting of cowpea stakeholders in Accra, Ghana, February 10-12, 2004.