About the Science
Our science team includes African cowpea breeders who have spent decades working closely with African farmers to understand the complex biological machinery churning inside the cowpea — machinery that determines how the crop interacts with local climates, soil conditions and insect pests as it progresses from seed to harvest. Our goal is to apply this deep knowledge to a new effort that will use crop breeding advances to meet the local needs of the millions of Africans who depend on cowpea to provide affordable, nutritious diets and income. That starts with endowing local cowpea varieties with carefully targeted traits that will enable them to safely and effectively resist two of their biggest threats: the cowpea “pod borer,” a caterpillar that feasts on cowpea bean pods in the field, and the cowpea weevil, a beetle that devours dried cowpea while in storage.
Many of the scientists on the ACIA team were involved in a partnership that developed pod-borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea varieties that are now in high demand among farmers in Ghana and Nigeria. ACIA’s scientists are exploring ways to make pod borer resistance even stronger while adding resistance to cowpea weevil. They are focused on providing resistance with traits that are a common presence in food and nature–and known to be very safe for people, animals and the environment. This approach, if successful, would respond to farmers and consumer demands for alternatives to fighting cowpea pests solely with chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides are too expensive for most African farmers and, if used improperly, are toxic to people and the environment.
90%
Cowpea farmers can lose up to 90% of their crop to a pair of pests that attack it in the field and after harvest. Controlling them requires applying expensive chemical pesticides. Improper use of these pesticides can harm farmers, consumers and the environment.
200 million
Cowpea was first domesticated in Africa thousands of years ago. Today, it provides high-quality, affordable protein to 200 million people and reliable income for millions of African farmers.
85%
While African farmers account for 85% of global cowpea production — and Africans are by far the world’s biggest cowpea consumers — harvests are far below potential and countries like Nigeria must import cowpea to meet local demand.