The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in partnership with Bioversity International, FARA, ISHS and KARI, is organizing a conference on banana and plantain research in Africa. Harnessing international partnerships to increase research impact has been rescheduled to 5-9 October 2008 at the Leisure Resort in Mombasa, Kenya. If the situation in Kenya remains unresolved by May 26th 2008, the Conference will be held during October 5-9th 2008 in Kampala, Uganda at the Speke Resort. Registration and full-board accommodation fees remain unchanged.

Banana and plantain are key staple crops in rural households in Africa, but they are also increasingly targeted for income generation. The major objective of the conference is to establish the role of research in promoting future commercial activities and trade in banana, plantain and ensete, a close relative cultivated for its fibre. The key priorities of the conference organizers are to:

• Develop an African strategy for the next decade to exploit banana and plantain research
• Strengthen research partnerships to overcome production bottlenecks
• Harmonize research with production trends, emerging markets and trade networks

For more information regarding deadlines please refer to the conference website (www.banana2008.com).