The partnership between the BecA-ILRI Hub and Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The research and capacity building priorities under this partnership are aligned with regional priorities defined in part by the Africa Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and are focused on:

1. improving food and nutritional security in the subregion
2. improving animal health, particularly the management of priority diseases in livestock of the region
3. linking African and Australian scientists who develop and use biosciences in agriculture to alleviate poverty and promote  sustainable development in the region
4. providing African scientists with funding and technical support to advance their research for the subregion.

This partnership is divided into two major focus areas:

Food and nutrition research which includes projects on: increasing the use of amaranth for improved nutrition; domestic cavies as an alternative source of animal protein and household income; domesticating wild edible mushroom for diversified nutrition; and addressing aflatoxin contamination in maize in East Africa.

Animal health research which includes: reducing the risks and impact of African swine fever; developing an inactivated vaccine for Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP); and developing a pan African strategy for the control of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR).