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Pioneering
Kenyan scientist, Esther Kahangi is new Regional
Coordinator for BIO-EARN
Professor
Esther Kahangi, formerly lecturer and research
leader at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology (JKUAT), has been appointed new Regional
Coordinator for BIO-EARN - the US$11 million Regional
Programme and Research Network for Biotechnology,
Biosafety and Biotechnology Policy Development undertakes biotechnology research for the
development of a more productive and sustainable
agricultural sector and bioresource economy in
Ethiopia,
Kenya, Tanzania
and
Uganda. Professor Kahangi takes up the post on
1st May 2006.
Professor
Kahangi
has a very clear focus: discoveries
that lead to impacts: ‘I want scientists to come
up with products that can be marketed and that will deliver
impacts on the ground. Ultimately, I want to bring new
products to the end users.’
She
is well known for delivering impacts, having pioneered
Kenya
’s tissue culture banana
– one of eastern
Africa
’s great agricultural biotechnology success stories.
She
is also recipient of many awards. To name a few, she was named by
local magazines as the Woman
of the Year 2004 and one of the Top 50 Women in East
Africa due to her contributions in
the development of technologies that have been
disseminated to the farming community to reduce poverty.
Internationally, she received the most competitive Fulbright
Senior Scholar Fellowship due to her ability to develop
technologies that benefit farming communities.
Kenya's tissue culture banana
Professor
Kahangi
established a pilot tissue culture laboratory at JKUAT, which
has a capacity of one million plants and developed
distribution channels of tissue cultured plant through
regional nurseries operated by farmers’ Self-help Groups.
The
tissue culture banana has been widely adopted by farmers. It
has substantially increased crop yields, while at the same
time shortening maturity time from 15 months (for convention
varieties) to nine months. Reports also suggest that household
incomes have increased from Kenyan shillings (Ksh) 700 to Ksh
5000 per harvest.
According
to Kahangi, a focus on extension work played a key role in the success
of the tissue culture banana. This includes a network of
individuals who propagate and market new varieties and inform
potential adopters about new opportunities. Ease of
access for end users has been vitally important: ‘If farmers
wants to use the tissue culture banana, they simply visit the
nursery where they can buy the plants.’ says Kahangi.
More
about BIO-EARN's Regional
Coordination Office
BIO-EARN
News 22 April 2006
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