Sorghum is one of the important staple crops cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. The African Bio-fortified Sorghum (ABS) project aims at developing sorghum varieties enriched with amino acids methionine and lysine, vitamins A, E and D, and the micronutrients iron and zinc.

The project is led by the Africa Harvest Biotechnology Foundation International (AHBFI), and involves a consortium of partners including:

• AATF
• The University of Pretoria (South Africa).
• The University of California, Berkeley (USA).
• Pioneer/DuPont
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa
• The Agriculture Research Council (ARC) in South Africa
• The Agriculture Research System (ARS)
• The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid  Tropics (ICRISAT)

AATF's primary role in this project is the management of intellectual property (IP). To this end, AATF has (i) coordinated the conduct of technology inventories and freedom to operate (FTO) assessments, (ii) formulated best managemet practices in intellectual property (IP) for inclusion in the ABS policy manual, and (iii) provided licensing advisory services to members of the consortium.