The Transformative Change for Biodiversity and Equity (TC4BE) is a 4-year project to be executed by a consortium of eight partners.  The  Global North is represented by five universities and research institutes in The European Union: University of GreenWich-UK,  Wagenigen  University- The Netherlands, IDDRI (FondationInstitut De Recherche Pour LeDeveloppement Durable et les RelationsInternationales)-France, CIRAD(Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour leDeveloppement)-France, HANKEN (SvenskaHandelshogskolan)-Finland. TheGlobal South comprises of three learning and research institutions in the Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC): University of Kabianga- Kenya, University of Andes-Colombia, and University of Dschang – Cameroon.

The key objective is to understand the relationship between extraction, production, trade, consumption, behaviour patterns andcosts associated with agro-foods herein referred to as “telecoupledagrofood system”(such as palm oil, cocoa, tea, coffee, horticulture), to address the European Union biodiversity footprint. The growing demand for such food items have led to expansion of global commodity trade and large scale land acquisition in the LMIC, subsequently, resulting to land use changes and negative biodiversity impacts. Understanding these linkages would enable designing innovative approaches to tackle the associated costs, which have accelerated biodiversity loss.

Kenya was selected as a case study on account of being a biodiverse rich country, high levels of commodity production and export to the EU, with characteristically growing pressures on biodiversity and equity.  Study landscapes in Kenya: Mau forest - Mara river basin, Mt Kenya-Tana River Basin and Mt Elgon–Lake Victoria Basin were selected as proposed case studies areas.Besides, a multidisciplinary project implementation team in the University of Kabianga was constituted as part of the project bid with the Team Leader being Dr. Joseph Hitimana, the Dean of School of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Consolidated application was submitted for bidding onthe 15^th February, 2022 by the project leads; underwent a rigorous vetting process that successfully finalized in July, 2022, with a confirmation and approval for funding by the European Union.  

The successful bid was concluded on Tuesday 18.01.2022 by the signing of a Grant Agreement between Wageningen University (The Netherlands) as the Coordinating Institution and Prof. Wilson Kipngeno, Vice-Chancellor on behalf of the University of Kabianga as the beneficiary.

The project commencement date is 01.12.2022, with the Kick off [inception] meeting to be held in Wageningen, The Netherlands, between 12^th and 16^th December, 2022.

UoK Team of researchers on the project also includes Prof J. Ogembo, Dr. Dorothy Masiga Syallow, Dr Noah Kibett, Mr George Omondi and Ms Pauline Kimani.

The University of Kabianga will be involved in two main tasks captured in work packages 4 and 5 of the project:

1. Identify, co-analyze and assess, with policy-makers and stakeholders, national supply-side producer country policies, scenarios and transformative change pathways for biodiversity and equity.
2. Co-generate transformative change pathways for Innovation landscapes for positive biodiversity and equity outcomes.