Featured Speaker Announcement!

Can beans make our planet better and our future brighter?

Join us at BeanCon24 to learn more and find out why we say this. We could not be more excited to welcome Jean-Claude Rubyogo, head of the Global Bean Program and Director of the PanAfrica Bean Research Alliance (PABRA). A seasoned leader in agricultural research, he holds dual roles as the Leader of the Global Bean Program and the Director of the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance and at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, stationed in Nairobi, Kenya.

Over a career spanning more than 30 years, he has dedicated himself to advancing seed systems research and development, technology delivery, and the commercialization of research products. He launched groundbreaking initiatives like the PABRA demand-led seed system and bean corridor approaches aimed at boosting wider quality seed access, bean production and expanding markets for smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa. This innovation has attracted significant investments in bean value chains, leading to a remarkable doubling of bean yields in numerous African countries and fostering bean trade within Africa and beyond. He is a fervent advocate for knowledge sharing, expanding inclusive & impactful research and plays a pivotal role in the Demand-Led Breeding (DLB) Community of Practice, demonstrating the practical value of this approach in beans, an approach now expanding to other vital crops in Africa.