The ABS Project

The ABS project seeks to develop a more nutritious and easily digestible sorghum variety that contains increased levels of essential amino acids, especially lysine, increased levels of Vitamins A and more available iron and zinc. The success of the Project could improve the health of a target 300 million people who depend on sorghum as a staple food in Africa.

Since the Project started, many African nations have reaffirmed the need to have comprehensive national nutrition programs.  The Project notes that industrial and conventional fortification has made a big dent to the challenge of malnutrition, but new developments in...

How the ABS Project was started

After the request for proposals (RFP) by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Africa Harvest Biotechnology Foundation International (Africa Harvest) submitted a research proposal entitled ­­­Nutritionally Enhanced Sorghum for the Arid and Semi-Arid Tropical Areas of Africa otherwise known as the Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) project. 
The ABS project was one of the 43 projects that were selected from more than 1,000 applications. The aim of the project is to create a highly nutritious biofortified sorghum that grows well in the semi-arid and arid environments of Africa. 

The ABS Project Consortium

1. Africa Harvest

Africa Harvest Foundation International (Africa Harvest) was established to promote the use of advanced science and technology products to improve agricultural productivity among Africa’s farmers, and free Africans from poverty, hunger and malnutrition.  Founded by Kenyan scientist Dr Florence Wambugu, the Foundation supports policy development and scientific and institutional capacity building across Africa and promotes the use of science and technology, including biotechnology, to help farmers.

Africa Harvest was founded in 2002 and incorporated in the USA as a non-profit foundation. Its African-focus made Nairobi, Kenya a natural headquarters.   The organisation has regional offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and Washington, DC in the USA.