Africa

NEPA’s Agency African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE) organized a key meeting recently to discuss biosafety frameworks. Focusing on countries such as Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda, among others, the meeting attracted leading biotechnology and biosafety stakeholders and providers of technical assistance. The group shared experiences, identified key capacity building needs [...]

Nigerian scientists recently had a chance to showcase progress that they’ve made while developing improved products with biotechnology. During the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Abuja, Nigeria, scientists featured their work on projects such as insect-resistant cowpea; biofortified cassava; and, biofortified sorghum, among others. The session, organized by NABDA in collaboration with AATF’s [...]

Mr. G.K. Nzuva, Chairman of the Kenya Central Agricultural Board recently shared lessons learned from his study of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso at the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB). On the study tour, Mr. Nzuva and participants from other countries saw the direct benefits of a functional biosafety system for farmers. In addition [...]

An interesting article regarding debates over GMOs in Africa and the progress being made where PBS has played a significant role in has been published in allAfrica.com.

011/2011African countries witness the benefits of biotech in Burkina Faso

Regulators, scientists, policy makers, journalists, and farmers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and North Sudan traveled to Burkina Faso recently and observed cotton farmers there enjoying increased yields and income as a result of cotton seed with built-in insect protection. Popularly referred to as white gold, cotton represents 60 percent of Burkina’s export earnings, [...]