West and Central Africa is one of the major plantain producing regions in the world, producing about 9 million tonnes per annum. . Plantains are an important staple food of the lowland humid zones, as well as providing a sought-after snack food and side dish in the surrounding areas. Yields in this region are generally low.

The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region is second only to West and Central in the production of plantains. Considerable research on plantain production has been carried out in LAC, with improved technologies now being widely adopted throughout the region. Average yields of plantains in LAC are now up to 80% more than in West and Central Africa.

The success of the improved plantain production technologies in LAC has led INIBAP and CTA to believe that considerable benefits could be achieved by extending these technologies to other plantain-producing regions, most notably, West and Central Africa.

Organised in collaboration with: INIBAP and CEDAF (Dominican Republic).