GRILI INFORMATION

Project Background information

Green Resources Innovations for Livelihood Improvement (GRILI) is a collaborative project supported by the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) through Danida fellowship Center and led by Dr. Faith Philemon Mabiki from the Department of Chemistry and Physics. Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in collaboration with researchers at Nelson Mandela African Institute of science and Technology Tanzania, Institute of Traditional Medicine (MUHAS), The National Institute for Medical Research, Mzumbe University, and the University of Copenhagen is carrying out the research project. 

It is using two plant species, Synadenium glaucescens and Commiphora swynnertonii, as model plants for adding value and up-scaling technologies. It is carried out in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Manyara region where Synadenium glaucescens, and Commiphora swynnertonii are found in plenty and highly utilized as source of traditional medicine.

Its main objective is to catalyse the socio-economic development and poverty reduction through training, research and expansion of market opportunities of value added Green Resource Products (GRPs) with pharmacological value for livelihood improvement.

Project objectives

• To strengthen the institutional research capacities on GRPs value addition through improvement of technical capabilities and by building human capacity for the use of this
• To identify and characterize antimicrobial active ingredients of GRPs from S. glaucescens and C. swynnertonii.
• To determine the likelihood that resistance will develop towards antimicrobial active ingredients of GRPs form S. glaucescens and C. swynnertonii.
• To determine the extent and effect of adulteration of GRPs in the Tanzanian market with the specific emphasis on GRPs from S. glaucescens and C. swynnertonii.
• To develop a business model for commercialization of GRPs by different actors in the GRP-value and supply chains
• To disseminate research results to policy makers and end users at national and international levels.

The project activities

Project activities are implemented in four (4) work packages.

• WP1: Analytical chemistry 
  Identification and characterization of antimicrobial active ingredients of GRPs from S. glaucescens and C. swynnertonii;. 
• WP2: Infection Microbiology 
  The work package fucus on determination of resistance towards anti-bacterial GRPs. 
• WP3: Quality control of Green Resource Products 
  Determination of extent and effect of adulteration of GRPs in the Tanzanian market. 
• WP4: Business model for GRPs 
  Development of a business model for commercialization of GRPs. 

The duration of the project is five years and the activity plan is as shown below