| News and Announcements |
| Biotech cotton to be commercialized in Kenya by end of 2014 |
| Posted: November 27, 2011 |
| High yielding biotech cotton (Bt) will be commercialized in Kenya by the end of 2014, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) scientist said on Thursday (24 November 2011).The Principal Investigator of Bt cotton in Kenya, Dr. Charles Waturu, told Xinhua in Nairobi that the research institution is currently carrying out field tests on the safety of the three different varieties of Bolgard II, which have been adapted to Kenya's conditions in readiness for distribution to farmers. ... Read full article ... |
| Querries over gazetting of Biosafety law |
| Posted: September 15, 2011 |
| The government in gazetting the Biosafety Regulations seeks to regulate the cultivation, importation and trade, in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in a way prevent unscrupulous importation of the GMOs into the country. ... Read full article ... |
| GM maize imports are now legal |
| Posted: August 15, 2011 |
| Kenyans can now legally import genetically modified maize after the guidelines were gazetted on Friday [12 August 2011]. The guidelines control how to import, export and transit such materials in Kenya. ... Read full article ... |
| Scholars in bid to put GM food fears to rest |
| Posted: August 12, 2011 |
| Scholars on Wednesday (10 August 2011) sought to dispel fears that genetically modified foods were unfit for human consumption. The chairman of the Vice-Chancellors' Committee, Prof Barasa Wangila, said the debate should not be limited to crops alone but should extend to products like chicken and fruits. ... Read full article ... |
| Drought is natural but our famine is man-made, so let us learn to mitigate |
| Posted: August 10, 2011 |
| In 1981, writing about the great famines of the last century, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen noted that droughts are natural phenomena, but famines are man-made. ... Read full article ... |
| Kenya experts allay fears on GMOs |
| Posted: August 8, 2011 |
| Scientific experts say there is no cause for alarm on the consumption of Genetic Modified Organisms-GMOs since they are fit for human consumption.
The experts say that majority of Kenyans have been consuming GMO food unknowingly and no negative effects have been reported. ... Read full article ... |
| Kenya pushes ahead with GM cotton plans |
| Posted: August 4, 2011 |
| Kenya will have its first commercial genetically modified cotton crop in 2014 when seeds are released to farmers. Genetically modified cotton seeds commonly known as BT cotton are resistant to certain diseases and tolerant to drought and therefore give farmers a yield double that of ordinary cotton. Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) has a demonstration farm in Thika, while trials on the seed have run for several years and farmers in Embu have been trained on how to grow it. ... Read full article ... |
| Biotechnology researches here to stay |
| Posted: August 3, 2011 |
| The government of Tanzania has defended biotechnology researches saying studies are crucial in ensuring sustainable development of living organisms. The Director of Science and Technology in the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, Prof Evelyne Mbede, expressed concern that some people were trying to undermine such studies, relating them with the promotion of artificial products. ... Read full article ... |
| Farmers lobby backs GM maize imports |
| Posted: August 2, 2011 |
| A farmers' lobby has supported calls for Kenyans to adopt genetically modified crops as residents in drought-hit areas also welcomed the plan to import GM maize. Cereals Growers Association chief executive officer David Nyameino said the maize was resistant to diseases and harsh weather conditions and would improve production. ... Read full article ... |
| Kenya opens up to GMO crops in war on hunger |
| Posted: July 26, 2011 |
| Kenya has removed that last hurdle to the growing and sale of genetically modified crops, opening up the domestic market to cheaper varieties of staple foods such as maize and wheat that could help reduce supply and stabilise prices in the near term. ... Read full article ... |
| Kenya set to give green light to GM crops |
| Posted: July 18, 2011 |
| Cotton that uses genes from Bacillus thuringiensis to fight pests is likely to be the first crop approved under Kenya's new rules for genetically modified organisms. ... Read full article ... |
| Is Kenya ready for GMO? |
| Posted: July 14, 2011 |
| Is Kenya ready for genetically modified food? And for how long can this country live on the other side of the fence without transgenic foods. ... Read full article ... |
| Nigeria Passes Biosafety Bill |
| Posted: June 8, 2011 |
| The Nigerian Senate enacted the Biosafety Bill into law on June 1, 2011, after several years of stakeholders' discussion and debate. ... Read full article ... |
| AATF advocates passage of Biosafety Bill |
| Posted: June 8, 2011 |
| African Agricultural Technology Foundation has reiterated the need for speedy passage of the Biosafety Bill in Nigeria. ... Read full article ... |
| Ministers, researchers identify benefits of biotechnology, canvass passage of Biosafety Bill |
| Posted: June 2, 2011 |
| Stakeholders in agricultural biotechnology in Nigeria met on 16 May at the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, Abia State, calling for an urgent passage of the biosafety bill. ... Read full article ... |
| Nigerian Biosafety Bill may fail, say scientists |
| Posted: May 4, 2011 |
| Supporters of genetically modified (GM) crop technology fear that their four-year effort to get a biosafety bill enacted in Nigeria may have been in vain if the country's upper house fails to pass it before its tenure ends next month (29 May). ... Read full article ... |
| Africa still debating GMOs' pros and cons |
| Posted: May 4, 2011 |
| Most African governments are still sceptical about genetically modified organism (GMO) crops as a result of concerns about food safety, the environment and the general public mistrust of multinationals that are often seen as manipulative and unscrupulous, food and agricultural experts say. ... Read full article ... |
| Report shows public misinformed on agri-biotech |
| Posted: May 4, 2011 |
| Although the media is the most trusted institution, scientists have snubbed it during research. ... Read full article ... |
| Grant to establish African Seed Institute in Kenya |
| Posted: April 26, 2011 |
| Iowa State University and University of Nairobi have received a grant from AGRA to establish a Seed Enterprise Management Institute at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences in Kabete, Kenya ... Read full article ... |
| GM on the rise in Africa |
| Posted: April 26, 2011 |
| With Africa under pressure to produce more food for its growing population, more countries across the continent are likely to start growing genetically modified (GM) crops, says an article in Reuters. ... Read full article ... |
| Bio-safety regulations to commercialise GM crops |
| Posted: April 26, 2011 |
| Farmers [in Kenya] will soon plant genetically modified crops on their farms once the draft on bio-safety regulations under discussion is adopted, making Kenya the fourth country in Africa after South Africa, Burkina Faso and Egypt to commercialise genetically modified crops (GM). ... Read full article ... |
| Biosciences key to feeding Africa |
| Posted: April 18, 2011 |
| Biosciences offer many regions in Africa an opportunity to produce surplus food for the first time. - Juma ... Read full article ... |
| ISAAA releases 2010 report about the global status of biotech crops |
| Posted: March 2, 2011 |
| The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) released its annual report on the global status of commercialized biotech crops in 2010. ... Read full article ... |
| Good news for biotechnology! |
| Posted: February 8, 2011 |
| 1 February 2011: USDA has decided to deregulate glysophate tolerant alfalfa without restriction. After a long court battle and a favorable EIS finding not harm from biotech alfalfa Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced this decision on Thursday. ... Read full article ... |
| Uganda is ready for genetically modified foods |
| Posted: January 10, 2011 |
| A number of negative opinions have been raised in the Ugandan media concerning Genetically Modified Organisms trials in Uganda. Most of the opinions are not informed by the vast knowledge available from biology and genetics and crop breeding. ... Read full article ... |
| Biotechnology: Africa Must Take Decisive Action |
| Posted: November 29, 2010 |
| Agricultural production and the ability to feed the ever-increasing populations are not only challenged by local conditions on the African continent, but globally by the economic recession, high food and fuel prices, climate change and related disasters ... Read full article ... |
| Kenya's GMO law to go live |
| Posted: June 27, 2010 |
| Kenya's long-awaited biosafety law is likely to become operational this month - well over a year after the president approved the legislation. ... Read full article ... |
| Report calls for application of genetic engineered crops |
| Posted: June 22, 2010 |
| A report by the Zambia National Research Council in May 2010 gave ammunition to both sides in the debate over the cultivation of genetically engineered crops. ... Read full article ... |
| Professor Alhassan urges Parliament to speed up passage of Bio-safety Bill |
| Posted: April 28, 2010 |
| Parliament has been asked to expedite action on the passage of the Bio-safety Bill to allow for the production of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in the country, which farmers have been clamouring for. ... Read full article ... |
| South Africa Leads in GM Crops as EA Lags Behind |
| Posted: April 20, 2010 |
| Despite being hailed as a possible answer to the nagging problem of food insecurity, genetically modified crops have yet to be adopted by East African countries on a large scale. ... Read full article ... |
| Global Status of Commercialised Biotech/GM Crops: 2009 - The first fourteen years, 1996 to 2009 |
| Posted: March 1, 2010 |
| The global area of genetically modified (GM) crops grew by seven percent in 2009, to 134 hectares, according to this year's International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) "Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops" report. ... Read full article ... |
| Farmers should embrace GM |
| Posted: February 9, 2010 |
| One of the world's leading agricultural scientists has said that organic farmers should embrace GM. Gordon Conway, Professor of International Development at Imperial College London and a former government adviser, said in an article in the Times that GM could help the organic movement. ... Read full article ... |
| Barriers and paths to market for genetically engineered crops |
| Posted: January 25, 2010 |
| Each year, billions of dollars are invested in efforts to improve crops through genetic engineering (GE). These activities have resulted in a surge of publications and patents on technologies and genes: a momentum in basic research that, unfortunately, is not sustained throughout the subsequent phases of product development. After more than two decades of intensive research, the market for transgenic crops is still dominated by applications of just a handful of methods and genes. ... Read full article ... |
| Hunger: Africa can get out of the trap |
| Posted: August 20, 2009 |
| Africa needs economic and agricultural revolutions greater than the one observed in Asia. With a population of 770 million people estimated to rise to 1.75 billion by 2050, poor performing agriculture aggravated by invasive pests, weeds, land degradation, erosion, droughts and the effects of climate change, Africa faces one of the biggest challenges of its time - assuring its increasing population of a sustainable food supply. ... Read full article ... |
| Government urged to raise awareness of GMOs |
| Posted: August 5, 2009 |
| The Tanzanian Government has been advised to increase the level of awareness of genetically modified (GM) crops among small-scale farmers. ... Read full article ... |
| Status of Biotechnology Policies and Biosafety Legislation in the COMESA Region |
| Posted: August 5, 2009 |
| The Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS) has released a brief on the ''Status of Biotechnology Policies and Biosafety Legislation in the COMESA Region''. ... Read full article ... |
| Biotech Information Core Facility in Nigeria |
| Posted: August 5, 2009 |
| Nigerian Minister of Science and Technology Al-Hassan Bako Zaku has launched a new Biotechnology Information Core Facility (BCIF) at Nigeria's University of Ibadan. ... Read full article ... |
| Kenya Addresses Importance of Raising Public Awareness of Biotechnology |
| Posted: August 5, 2009 |
| Kenyan Agriculture Secretary Wilson Songa has emphasized the importance of communicating accurate information about biotechnology to relevant stakeholders. ... Read full article ... |
| Role of Genetically Modified Crops in Africa |
| Posted: August 5, 2009 |
| Genetically modified (GM) crops conjure up varying emotions worldwide. Nevertheless, their acreage is increasing, reaching 125 million hectares in 2008 ... Read full article ... |
| Tanzania Forum To Facilitate Local Debate On Agricultural Biotechnology |
| Posted: June 18, 2009 |
| One more step towards bringing the debate on agricultural biotechnology closer to the people who stand to gain or lose most from biotechnology was taken recently with the launch of the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Tanzania Chapter. ... Read full article ... |
| Botswana's Agricultural Research Director advocates use of biotech |
| Posted: April 20, 2009 |
| Botswana's Director for Agriculture Research, Pharoah Mosupi, has called for the use of biotechnology to increase food production in the country. ... Read full article ... |
| 90 million Nigerians are food vulnerable |
| Posted: April 19, 2009 |
| About 90 million Nigerians are in a condition of food vulnerability, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Sayyid Abba-Ruma, has said. This means that about 90 million Nigerians cannot take the issue of food for granted as they could be susceptible to the danger of lack of this basic need of life. ... Read full article ... |
| OFAB Nigeria Chapter Launched |
| Posted: April 13, 2009 |
| Lagos, 12 April 2009 - Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Bako Zaku, on Thursday in Abuja, said $500 billion (about N72.3 trillion) was realised from the sale of biotechnology products every year worldwide. He made the announcement at the launch of the third Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa, organised by the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA). ... Read full article ... |
| MOU to strengthen biotech awareness in Africa signed |
| Posted: April 13, 2009 |
| A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the AATF and ISAAA AfriCenter to strengthen biotechnology and biosafety awareness creation and knowledge-sharing in Africa through the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology. ... Read full article ... |
| OFAB to launch Nigeria Chapter on 9 April 2009 |
| Posted: April 7, 2009 |
| The Nigeria Chapter of the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) will be launched on 9 April 2009 in Abuja. The Nigeria Chapter will be hosted by the National Biotechnology Development Agency of Nigeria (NABDA) in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN). ... Read full article ... |
| African scientists to their governments: adopt modern agricultural technologies |
| Posted: April 2, 2009 |
| Kenyan Agriculture Secretary Wilson Songa has cautioned African policy makers and stakeholders to stop thinking that Africa can produce enough food through organic technology alone ... Read full article ... |
| Employ biotechnology to fight poverty |
| Posted: March 17, 2009 |
| Prof Walter Sandow Alhassan, Consultant at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), has indicated that it is unlikely Africa will meet the Millennium Development Goal number 1 (MDG 1) of halving poverty and hunger by 2015 given the current low levels of agricultural productivity. ... Read full article ... |
| The use and conservation of diversity must change with climate change |
| Posted: March 17, 2009 |
| Changes to agricultural geography, brought about by climate change, require us to change our approach to the use and conservation of agricultural biodiversity. ... Read full article ... |
| Hundreds of New Biotech Companies Have Recently Emerged in China |
| Posted: January 10, 2008 |
| Several have even listed shares on the U.S. capital markets a bold sign of things to come. A new report on the emerging companies, government incentives and recent investments that are defining China s burgeoning biotech industry is now available. Find out how to successfully operate in this emerging market. ... Read full article ... |
| Biotech trade group launches nonprofit to aid Third World |
| Posted: January 10, 2008 |
| Reports on the launch of a new nonprofit institute, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation and called the BIO Ventures for Global Health, whose mission will be to work with biotechs to deliver drugs and vaccines to developing countries. It also, says the piece, "intends to address diseases endemic to the Third World that are ignored by an industry focused on profits". ... Read full article ... |
