Physical Address: 151 Sam Nujoma Street (Second Street Extension) Belgravia, Harare Zimbabwe. Postal Address: P.O.

Box BW267 Borrowdale Harare Zimbabwe Tel: 00 263-4-703481 or 733548 Fax: 00 263-4-250468 E-mail : biotech@iwayafrica.co.zw Web site: www.biotechtrust.co.zw

Year Established: 1997 Contacts: Name: M B C Gezana S Muranda Position: Executive Director Projects Manager

Background The Biotechnology Trust of Zimbabwe (BTZ) is a successor of earlier organizations formed with the aim of harnessing appropriate Agricultural Biotechnology to benefit resource poor communities. The BTZ is working with others in Rural Development to implement appropriate technologies which ameliorate the effects of poverty. It relies on donor support for all its programmes. BTZs Vision To improve the livelihoods of marginalized people in Zimbabwe and the Southern African region through the utilization of appropriate technologies. Objectives 1. To promote and support excellence in the use of appropriate technology options applicable to resource poor rural and peri-urban households using participatory approaches and community based programmes. 2. To identify, collaborate and work with appropriate government ministries, research institutions ngos beneficiaries and others in implementing projects that strengthen and favor the creation of endowments for poor households to secure their livelihoods. 3. To promote projects that aim to enhance the position of women and children in society. 4. To contribute to the work of others in the fight to reduce the effects of HIV/AIDS on women and children through the dissemination of the knowledge on nutritious food production gained through research in friendly biotechnologies in Zimbabwe. 5. To continue to participate and contribute to the on-going debate on biotechnology and biosafety and their application for the benefit of resource poor rural and periurban communities. 6. To collaborate with industry, where possible, to promote and implement safe, appropriate, and beneficial biotechnology interventions for the benefit of resource poor peri-urban and rural resource poor communities. 7. To work with others in projects that support women, orphaned children and those affected by HIV/AIDS. 8. To develop new associations and maintain existing collaboration between appropriate biotechnology research and practice, academic and donor communities for the benefit of poor communities in Zimbabwe, Sub-Sahara Africa and the rest of the world. 9. To contribute towards the National Development Goals which in turn contribute to the National effort of fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) through working with peri-urban and rural communities using community based models of intervention. The BTZ is has started widely disseminating the results of its recently completed project which produced a nutritious variety of sweet potato that can be incorporated into existing rural agricultural farming systems. This food supplement is being incorporated into nutrition and feeding programmes for women, orphans, children and others affected by HIV/AIDS. Sectors:

Rural Development, Nutrition, HIV/AIDS, Gender, Advocacy, Human Rights, Knowledge Exchange, Research.