Development of the Soybean Industry in Africa: Safeguarding Food Security in Africa and China—A Perspective

IF 10.1 1区 工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Vincent Ninkuu , Tianfu Han , Felix D. Dakora
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

In 2023, the global soybean trade volume with China reached 99.41 million tonnes without any contribution from Africa. With its vast arable land, Africa has the potential to develop a strong soybean industry to increase food security, create employment opportunities, and position itself as a key exporter to China. However, soybean growth and yield are stringently linked to nodulation and nitrogen gas (N2) fixation, as well as to photothermal effects. The soil bacteria that nodulate and fix N2 for soybean growth are absent in African soils, which is a major constraint to soybean cultivation. However, the breeding of promiscuous soybean varieties that freely nodulate and fix N2 with native rhizobia in African soils has been achieved. The photothermal constraint limiting soybean production in Africa has also been resolved with the discovery and testing of several genes regulating photoperiodism at the laboratory and field levels. Large-scale soybean production in Africa will nonetheless still require science, technology, and innovation (STI) partnerships for the easy transfer and/or exchange of biological materials for research among Chinese and African scientists. This study aims to identify opportunities to boost soybean production in Africa, with potential benefits including increased food security, enhanced economic growth, improved continental gross domestic product, reduced unemployment, and greater poverty alleviation through job creation while enhancing China–Africa trade. It also explores the advantages soybean production in Africa could derive from the China–Africa STI partnership under the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Action Plan (2025–2027) and the China–Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Alliance (CAASTIA), which is implemented by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the African Academy of Sciences.
非洲大豆产业发展:维护非洲与中国的粮食安全——一个展望
2023年,在没有非洲贡献的情况下,全球与中国的大豆贸易量达到9941万吨。非洲拥有广阔的可耕地,有潜力发展强大的大豆产业,以增加粮食安全,创造就业机会,并将自己定位为对中国的主要出口国。然而,大豆的生长和产量与结瘤和固氮以及光热效应密切相关。非洲土壤缺乏为大豆生长结瘤和固定N2的土壤细菌,这是制约大豆种植的主要因素。然而,已经在非洲土壤中培育出了能自由结瘤并与本地根瘤菌固定N2的杂交大豆品种。随着在实验室和田间水平上发现和测试几个调节光周期的基因,限制非洲大豆生产的光热约束也得到了解决。尽管如此,非洲的大规模大豆生产仍然需要科学、技术和创新(STI)伙伴关系,以便在中非科学家之间方便地转移和/或交换用于研究的生物材料。本研究旨在确定促进非洲大豆生产的机会,其潜在效益包括增加粮食安全、促进经济增长、提高大陆国内生产总值、降低失业率、通过创造就业机会和加强中非贸易来减轻贫困。报告还探讨了中非合作论坛(FOCAC)《北京行动计划(2025-2027)》和中国农业科学院和非洲科学院共同实施的中非农业科技创新联盟(CAASTIA)下的中非科技创新伙伴关系为非洲大豆生产带来的优势。
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来源期刊
Engineering
Engineering Environmental Science-Environmental Engineering
自引率
1.60%
发文量
335
审稿时长
35 days
期刊介绍: Engineering, an international open-access journal initiated by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) in 2015, serves as a distinguished platform for disseminating cutting-edge advancements in engineering R&D, sharing major research outputs, and highlighting key achievements worldwide. The journal's objectives encompass reporting progress in engineering science, fostering discussions on hot topics, addressing areas of interest, challenges, and prospects in engineering development, while considering human and environmental well-being and ethics in engineering. It aims to inspire breakthroughs and innovations with profound economic and social significance, propelling them to advanced international standards and transforming them into a new productive force. Ultimately, this endeavor seeks to bring about positive changes globally, benefit humanity, and shape a new future.
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