NAIROBI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- African governments should prioritize enactment of friendly policies combined with improved governance to drive biotechnology uptake in the continent, a scientist said on Thursday.
Emmanuel Okogbenin, director of program development and commercialization at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) said at a virtual forum in Nairobi that robust policies are required to push the seed system development, achieve Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 on transforming the continent.
"For Africa to maximize the benefits of investment and science for improved prosperity of farmers and stakeholders as well as its economic growth and development, it is crucial to develop the seed systems for scaling technologies," Okogbenin said.
He called on African leaders to invest in new farming technologies including biotechnology alongside hybrid seeds and digital tools as well as machinery in order to transform food production in the continent.
Okogbenin said that harmonizing biotechnology policies and biosafety regulations is key to creating an enabling environment for its development and deployment.
He said that biotechnology is no longer viewed as an option but as a necessity that should be deployed alongside conventional breeding methods to improve genetic gains for enhanced crop productivity and value chain transformation in Africa.
Okogbenin said that Africa is gradually evolving with advances in breeding, from classical to genetic engineering and now genome editing.
He called for the prioritization of accreditation of agro-input dealers and digital tools to increase access to quality agro-inputs.
Okogbenin urged African regulators to avoid the adoption of strict regulatory regimes that hinder the application of new innovations in plant breeding.
He said the technology is only complementing conventional breeding for maximum results adding that it will help Africa transform its agriculture systems and spur economic growth.
Okogbenin urged supportive voices for agricultural biotechnology with emphasis on farmer benefits and consumer preferences in order to sustain its uptake in Africa. Enditem
