The Director, Programme, Improvement and Commercialisation of African Agricultural Expertise Basis (AATF), Dr. Emmanuel Okogbenin, has expressed displeasure that regardless of the estimated 41 million smallholder farmers in Africa producing meals, many international locations are nonetheless grappling with meals disaster.
Okogbenin, in a presentation on “Plant Breeding Improvements and Biosafety: Advantages of GM Crops for Nationwide Meals and Vitamin Safety,” on the second Worldwide Convention of the Nigerian Plant Breeders Affiliation, in Abuja, shared crucial insights into the position of Plant Breeding Improvements and Biosafety in addressing the meals and diet safety challenges in Africa.
He emphasised the transformative potential of Genetically Modified (GM) crops for nationwide meals techniques, highlighting that whereas plant breeding has made strides in addressing manufacturing challenges – comparable to drought tolerance, pest resistance, illness management, and useful resource, effectivity, post-harvest losses stay a major situation that undermines these good points.
The scientist reiterated that the estimated smallholder farmers are accountable for producing nearly all of meals in Africa, but many governments on the continent aren’t sufficiently investing in agriculture.
In accordance with him: “Of the 54 African international locations, 48 of them allocate a median of simply 3.8 per cent of their budgets to agriculture,” emphasising the necessity for elevated funding to advance agricultural growth within the continent.
He subsequently, underscored the significance of GMOs, in reaching meals safety, stressing that solely eight African international locations have thus far authorised or commercialised 4 genetically modified crops and GM crop market in Africa that was valued at $615.4m in 2018, is projected to develop by 5 per cent to succeed in $871m by 2025.
“Globally, GM crops have been grown on 202 million hectares in 2023, a 3 per cent enhance from the earlier yr. To maximise the advantages of the crops, it’s significance to strengthen business agriculture and enhance transformation effectivity throughout the agricultural worth chain. “A stability between analysis and supply in useful resource allocation is important for higher outcomes, together with a give attention to creating the worth chain, significantly mid-stream actions,” he concluded.
The presentation serves as a clarion name to coverage makers, researchers, and trade stakeholders to prioritise improvements that can improve agricultural productiveness and deal with the urgent meals safety challenges throughout Africa.
