Outcomes and Next Steps
“Our responsibility is
to build systems that
allow young scientists
to grow, lead and deliver
innovations for African
farmers.”
JUSTIN PITA, WAVE
The Cambridge 2025 International Partnerships Event strengthened relationships across the partnership network and created a clearer, shared understanding of the priorities that will guide future collaborative research.
Extended time spent together enabled scientists, breeders, funders and early-career researchers to build trust and identify new opportunities for joint work. Sustained engagement with African breeding programmes helped refine scientific priorities to reflect the practical needs of farmers and national research systems.
The event also deepened the Crop Science Centre's connections with university-wide partnership structures such as Cambridge-Africa, the Global Food Security Interdisciplinary Research Centre and Cambridge Zero. These links will support greater coordination across Cambridge and provide researchers with access to funding schemes, partnership databases and interdisciplinary platforms that can strengthen collaboration with institutions across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Contributions from external partners – including IRRI, Tilda and WACCI – further broadened opportunities for future field trials, data sharing and coordinated project development.
“I would like to see follow-up actions,
new collaborations, and opportunities for young scientists… This meeting has inspired me greatly.”
Comfort Frimpomaa Kwakye
Graduate Research Assistant, WACCI
There was a strong and consistent call from participants for follow-up activities and continued engagement. Many expressed a desire for regular annual meetings, shared digital spaces for materials and contacts, and periodic virtual check-ins to maintain momentum. CSC will explore mechanisms to support this community and facilitate further collaboration, ensuring that the relationships and insights generated through the event contribute to scientific programmes that are increasingly integrated, equitable and oriented towards real-world impact.
Interested in the 2026 Africa Crop Forum?
The 2026 forum builds on the partnership model developed through Cambridge 2025 while focusing on African-led priorities, field realities and future funding opportunities.
Interested in the 2026 Africa Crop Forum?
The 2026 forum builds on the partnership model developed through the 2025 event in Cambridge while focusing on African-led priorities, field realities and future funding opportunities.