Abstract

This book is the proceedings of the Pan Africa Chemistry Network Biodiversity Conference which was held in September 2008. A key aim of the RSC/Syngenta Pan Africa Chemistry Network (PACN) is to connect African scientists through a cycle of conferences and workshops and this conference held at the University of Nairobi was the first of these. It brought together 26 speakers from nine African countries - Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Botswana, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Sudan - plus the UK and Brazil. The lectures covered topics such as making the best use of the diversity of Africa's plants in agriculture and medicine whilst benefiting communities in Africa; natural products; analysis and the environment; water quality; dealing with waste; biofuels; understanding crop protection chemicals in the African context; agricultural practices for Africa; farm animals; conservation and the impact of tourism on biodiversity. The resulting book provides a valuable overview of several aspects of biodiversity in Africa.
Professor Jacob Midiwo is at the Department of Chemistry, University of Nairobi, Kenya, Africa Dr John Clough is at Syngenta, Bracknell, UK