The Role of Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa’s Development

Diran MakindeDirector, West African Biosciences Network (WABNet)

NEPAD Biosciences InitiativeDakar, Senegal

2nd Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB). Uganda

30th April 2008 Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala

Sustainable development in Africa

Within the context of sustainable development, Africa needs to focus on:

• provision of sufficient affordable nutrition. • improving access to affordable and effective

health care • protection of the African environment • creation of jobs and the reduction of

poverty.

MAIZE DOMESTIC DEFICIT/SURPLUS: 2003/04 COMPARED TO 2004/05 PROJECTIONS

Low Crop Yields

Food insecurity

Low/no marketable

surplusLow/no farm cash

income

Poverty & unemployment

No capital to invest for high quality inputs

not enough to eat

not enough to sell

not enough to invest

Vicious Cycleof Poverty

Low Productivity Smallholder Farming

Transforming African Agriculture

• Widespread use of quality farm inputs & technologies– Improved seed - conventional & biotechnology– Fertiliser– Crop protection chemicals– Irrigation– Equipment

• Empowered farmers– Training – gain the knowledge, info & skills– Credit– Basic health, education & nutrition

• Markets that work– Incentive to invest– Infrastructure that enables trade– Information to make good business decisions

• Proactive Policy, Regulatory Reform– Political will and commitment to create and enabling environment

• Laws, investments in infrastructure, R&D, training, input subsidy, environment etc

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These genes are very specific and allow the plant to precisely express the desired trait.

Plant Biotechnology

Using plant biotechnology, a single gene may be added to the strand.

Allows for the transfer of a greater variety of genetic information in a more precise manner.

Transgenic Plant – a plant contains transgene(s) that have been artificially

inserted instead of acquiring them through other means.

– The transgenes (or inserted gene sequence) may come from another unrelated living organism. • Example: Bt maize contains an endotoxin gene from Bacillus

thuringiensis, an insect pathogenic bacterium.

Harvest from Resource Poor Farm of Insect Resistant Maize

Healthy Cassava

Virus-infected Cassava

Factors Determining the Future of Biotechnology in Africa

• Proactive policy: Africa deciding for Africa• Biosafety legislation and institutions: ability

to assess the technology for ourselves• Scientific capacity building: ability to

appropriate & adapt biotechnology• IPR Regimes: protect and encourage private

investments• Public awareness and acceptance: credible

competent communication strategies.

AU-NEPAD S&T Consolidated Plan of Action

NEPAD/African Biosciences Initiative

NEPAD/ABI Objectives contd.

Challenges Facing Africa on Biotechnology and Biosafety

• Lack of fund• Loss of technical expertise• Slow development of a biotechnology sector• Inadequate IPR infrastructure • Government not taking a more active political role in

promoting the technology• Public acceptance

Biotechnology funding in Africa

• Gross expenditure on R&D less than 0.3% (some 0%)• International donors provide 75% of the R&D budgets• Bilateral donors: EU, DFID, USAID, DANIDA, GTZ,

SIDA,CIDA, etc• Foundations: Rockefeller, BMGF, Gatsby Trust, IFS,

KirkHouse Trust, etc• World Bank• Africa Development Bank• Others: IDRC, IFAD, MAE(France),CTA, etc

Challenges for the FutureChallenges for the Future

•Continuing Responsible Stewardship - assessment of risk

•Ensure that biotech crops in conjunction with conventional technologies can CONTRIBUTE to a more Sustainable Agriculture, Global Food, Feed & Fiber Security, Alleviation of Poverty and a Safer Environment•Improved Communication with Society. Knowledge-based decisions re GM crops

Hoban, 2001

Way Forward

• Speed up the development of products with clear consumer benefits.

• Improved Communication with Society. Knowledge-based decisions re GM crops.

• Improve and maintain confidence in science and the government regulatory system.

• Ensure that biotech crops in conjunction with conventional technologies can CONTRIBUTE to a more Sustainable Agriculture, Global Food, Feed & Fiber Security, Alleviation of Poverty and a Safer Environment

Conclusion

• “African leaders must significantly increase public investments in biotech R&D. Failure to do so will impair the continent’s capacity to have real transformation will remain low on technology development, transfer, adaptation & continue failing to exploit life sciences knowledge for the benefit of their citizens”

“…the new ingredient in Biotech crops is not black magic or radioactivity; it is knowledge” Former Scientific Advisor to the European Union on Biotechnology

Agricultural GM technology is here to stay

It is currently underutilized, despite its specific appeal to a wide range of farming systems

Biotechnology Information sharing and communication support are essential for biotechnology acceptance

Thank you