Kigali, December 15, 2025 – Rwanda launched the Rwanda Biotech Capacity Building (BioCap) Project, a national initiative designed to strengthen the country’s scientific capacity to develop improved potato, cassava, and banana varieties. Led by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) in partnership with the International Potato Center (CIP), BioCap aims to position Rwanda as a hub for safe, climate-smart biotechnology in Africa.

Officially launching the project, Honorable Solange Uwituze, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, framed BioCap as an initiative firmly rooted in the public interest. He noted that the project is ultimately about ensuring Rwandan farmers have access to better, safer, and more resilient crops. In the face of climate pressures and global shocks, he reaffirmed Rwanda’s determination to place science at the service of its people.

The launch brought together senior government officials, scientists, and development partners, underscoring the collaborative foundation of the project. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), the Rwanda Environment Management Authority, CIP, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Michigan State University, among others.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Simon Heck, Director General of CIP, affirmed that the launch reflects the depth and continuity of Rwanda’s long-standing partnership with international agricultural research. He recalled that CIP’s collaboration with Rwanda began in 1978, when the center was invited to support the National Potato Improvement Program. 

Over the past 47 years, this collaboration has evolved into a trusted alliance involving Rwandan scientists, research institutions, universities, enterprises, and farmers, formalized through a Host Country Agreement signed in 2015. He described Rwanda as a regional and increasingly global leader in science, innovation, and biotechnology, noting that BioCap exemplifies the country’s commitment to nationally led, responsibly governed biotechnology systems that deliver tangible benefits for farmers, the environment, and regional food systems.

The BioCap Project comes at a critical moment, as Africa faces intensifying climate pressures, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen regional scientific capacity.

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