APOPO News

Hong Kong student Adriana Che first learned about APOPO online through HeroRAT Jane, a wildlife detection rat named by Dr. Jane Goodall during a visit to APOPO in Morogoro, Tanzania in July 2024. Learning about Jane introduced Adriana to an unusual approach to conservation: training rats to detect products trafficked from threatened species. In summer […]

What happens after landmines are removed? For farming families in Cambodia, clearing land is only the beginning. The next step is helping that land provide food, income, and a more secure future. Since 2023, APOPO’s Minefields to Ricefields (M2R) initiative has combined humanitarian mine clearance with agricultural development. Working with the Cambodian Institute for Research

APOPO’s Mine Detection Rats (MDR) have passed national accreditation in Angola and Azerbaijan, allowing both teams to support the clearance of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). All eight rats in Angola successfully completed their assessments and are authorized to work on the country’s minefields for another 12 months. In Azerbaijan, 11 rats and

26–30 October 2026 | Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania How does syntropic agroforestry affect farmers’ livelihoods, soil health, and biodiversity? What evidence do farmers need before adopting it? These questions will guide the APOPO International Syntropic Agroforestry Research Workshop 2026, organized by APOPO in collaboration with Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). Researchers and agricultural

In 2026, five students from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Morogoro, Tanzania, carried out three research projects on APOPO Syntropic Agroforestry demo sites. In one trial, plots planted with legume cover crops had 71–82% fewer weeds than unplanted plots. Other studies found higher levels of some soil indicators in agroforestry plots than on nearby

12–14 November 2026 | SUA Olmotonyi Campus, Arusha, Tanzania Learn through Syntropic Agroforestry Training to combine avocado, cashew, and macadamia trees with vegetables and other crops that provide food and income while the trees mature. This APOPO HeroTREEs three-day training covers how to design, establish, and manage a syntropic agroforestry system, with two days of

9–11 November 2026 | SUA Syntropic Living Lab, Morogoro, Tanzania Learn how to combine cashew, citrus, and food crops in farming systems that improve soil health, support biodiversity, and produce food. This three-day APOPO HeroTREEs agroforestry training combines theory with field practice, taking you from farm design to planting and long-term management. Led by Hannes

How much does it weigh? What happens if it gets caught? And what on earth are Wi-Fi HaLow, RTK GPS, and SLAM? Electrical engineer Sander Verdiesen, APOPO’s Technical Lead – R&D within the Innovation Department, explains how three tiny backpacks are being developed to solve three very different problems. Put a backpack on a rat

MOROGORO, Tanzania, Aug. 28, 2026 – Pendo, APOPO’s Animal Welfare and Training Supervisor, has been recognized by Malkia wa Nguvu, a prominent Tanzanian initiative celebrating women making a difference in their communities and wider society. Pendo was one of five women honored by Clouds Media Group at the initiative’s Coastal Zone event in Morogoro. She