Farming in Africa. |
Lack of funding,
loss of trained technical expertise, slow development of the
biotechnology sector, lack of political will and the issue of public
acceptance brought by activism are the main challenges facing many
African countries especially, East African countries on biotechnology
and bio-safety.
A three-day
workshop held in Mwanza Region, organized by African Agricultural
Technology Foundation (AATF) in collaboration with Tanzania Commission
of Science and Technology (COSTECH), focused on strengthening reporting
on agricultural biotechnology for relevant policy approaches.
The workshop
brought together journalists, researchers and government officials from
five African countries including , Kenya, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia
and the host Tanzania The aim was to enhance skills, capacity and
knowledge to journalists to effectively report on agricultural
biotechnology issues in African countries.
All coordinators of
Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in AfBiotechnology
(OFAB) in AfBiotechnology (OFAB) in Af rica also attended. "Journalists
have a role to play on agri-biotech reporting.
Society should be
provided with a balanced view of the fundamental of biotechnology and
genetic engineering, the process used in developing transgenic organism,
the types of genetic material used and the benefits of the new
technology," said OFAB Advisors from Tanzania Dr Niclous Nyange during
the opening remarks of the workshop.
Modern
biotechnology represents unique applications of science that can be used
for the betterment of society through development of crops with
improved nutritional quality, resistance to pests and diseases and
reduced cost of production.
According to 2016
global status report on Biotech crops launched in Cameroon last week,
African farmers planted 2.8 million hectares of biotech or Genetic
Modified Organism (GMO) crops in 2016, the first 21year of global GM
crops commercialization.
The report shows
that a total of 13 countries up from 11 in 2015 either planted actively
evaluated trials or transitioned to grant approvals for general release
of various biotech crops.
South Africa and
Sudan continued with commercial growing of biotech crop. Presenting a
paper, country coordinator OFAB Uganda Chapter, Philip Chemoges said
that in Uganda biotech is one of the options that can significantly
contribute to national development.
Chemoges mentioned
Genetic Modified (GM) crops under development in Uganda as Maize
developed under Water Efficient for Maize (WEMA) project, banana,
potatoes and other crops where they are waiting for the bill to be
passed in order for the product go to for commercialisation.
Mr Chemoges insists
on the importance of government efforts in collaboration with
researchers, public in African countries in ensuring GM crops are
adapted to increasing food and cash crops production, national
development and improve farmer's income.
"We have a solution
of improving agricultural activities and the modern technology is
there... but the problem is legislations for all Africa coun tries.
We need government
support for hundred percent to help our farmers to adopting GM crops
technology as the modern biotechnology in order to increase food
productions to their households and income by adopting new technology
that had already used in other continent," country coordinator-Uganda
OFAB insisted.
GM crops had
already been adopted in Asia, India, South Africa, Burkina Faso in BT
cotton, United States of America (USA) and many other countries in the
world that would help in the development of the nations and change the
lives of many smallholders farmers.
Genetic engineering
(GE) techniques are employed in few countries in Africa with the
commercialisation in South Africa, Egypt and Burkina Faso in such crops
and traits as insect resistant cotton and maize as well as herbicide
resistant soya bean and the combination of these straits.
South Africa
continued to lead the adoption of biotech crops on the African continent
with increased planting of biotech maize, soybean and cotton totaling
to 2.66 million hectares in 2016, a 16 per cent increase from the
reported biotech crop area of 2.29 million hectares in 2015, this is
according to 2016 global status report on biotech crops.
Six countries
conducted multi location trials in preparation for general release
approvals. They include Burkina Faso (cowpea), Ethiopia (cotton), Ghana
(cowpea), Nigeria (cowpea and sorghum), Swaziland (cotton) and Uganda
(banana and maize), according to report.
Program Manager for
OFAB-Africa at African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) Daniel
Otunge said that this is the right time for all East Africa countries
to give priority on the implementation of new and modern technology in
agricultural activities as the majority of citizens from Africa
countries depending on agriculture sector as the main activities.
"We are here to
look into how we can change our farmers to stick on modern technology of
biotechnology. Journalists have the big role to play in sharing true
and credible or correct information with scientists in educating farmers
and to encourage government, public as well as activists to see the
importance of adopting modern technology of biotechnology in
agricultural activities," said Otunge.
Speaking during the
regional workshop of training journalists on reporting agricultural
biotechnology for relevant policy approach held in Mwanza Region
recently Mr Otunge said, lack of political will, restrictive bio-safety
regulations, low scientific capacity and low public awareness on
biotechnology is among the challenges facing agri-biotech in African
countries.
He called on
African countries through its government to amend their roles and
procedures in the implementation of modern technology of agriculture as
the solution and it would help to remove challenges facing farmers
especially pests and diseases that affect their crops.
The main solution
of controlling various diseases that affect crops is by adopting modern
technology of biotechnology and improved varieties including GMO crop
technology, and other technologies that proved as import lance-best in
farming activities.
The Liaison
officer-OFAB Kenya, Paul Chege said the challenges of biotech progress
in Kenya is the ban of GMO food importation imposed in 2012, apparent of
coordination between government agencies oversight role and others.
"Recurrent drought
and pests and diseases lead to shortage of food in the country. The
solution is to use modern method of technology of biotechnology that is
drought tolerant and diseases resistant. One of the journalists from
Uganda said, "It is true that journalists have a big role to play in
educating the public on the importance of using modern technology
especially GMO crops technology as the modern biotechnology... ..
But they need
positive support from the public and experts who seems to oppose the
technology although they understood the technology," he explained.
Adding, join
efforts has been needed from all of us by understanding what we expect
to achieve, our main aim and to what extent our farmers suffer when
investing many energy in cultivating crops and get very low yield due to
poor farming methods and diseases.
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