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Kenya launches its first operational satellite to monitor climate change effects and help boost food production

Kenya finally launched its first operational earth observation satellite on April 15. The launch was scheduled for April 11 but got postponed more than once due to unfavorable weather. Kenyan engineers from SayariLabs constructed and designed the satellite while Bulgarian firm EnduroSat aided in the…

Women driving ground-breaking innovations to solve world’s biggest challenges

The world is currently facing several challenges, many of which will be solved using new and innovative technologies. Humans have been solving problems in this way for millennia, and will necessarily be doing so long into the future.   Since 1970, the number of women completing degrees in STEM subjects…

GMO misinformation: It will be difficult for Kenyans to make informed decisions and that could cost lives

The level of misinformation on GMOs in Kenyan media could be the highest in the world, according to a new study by Alliance for Science. The study reviewed GMO-related stories in Kenyan media over three months, between October 2022 and January 2023. President Dr William Ruto lifted a…

Give farmers a chance: Pro-GMO activists march through Nairobi and Kampala calling for the adoption of improved seeds

Pro-GMO activists marched through Nairobi in Kenya and Kampala in Uganda on February 10 and 15, 2023, calling for the adoption of improved seeds. They carried placards with pro-GMO slogans such as Genetically Modified Crops are Safe and Nutritious and Yes to Food Security. This was in response to a…

Nigeria begins national performance trials for GM maize

Nigeria is set to begin national performance trials (NPT) for genetically modified (GM) TELA maize as the West African nation makes another leap towards greater pest-resistance and productivity, particularly for small-scale farmers. It is anticipated that TELA maize will help smallholders in Africa spend less money on insecticides and minimize…

Ghana’s first GMO food crop: All you need to know

In Ghana, local scientists from the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have employed biotechnology to develop two crops: nitrogen- and water-use-efficient (NEWEST) rice and the genetically modified cowpea, also known as the pod borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea. Neither of these crops are…

How biotech aids biodiversity

As the basis for food, housing, clothing, medicine, industrial raw material and potentially many more benefits to human well-being, biodiversity is crucial to our survival and economic development. Numerous scientific studies show that the use of biotechnology in agriculture can help to protect biodiversity and stem its loss. Sign our…

Study credits climate, not genetics, for bumper US corn crop

Most of the maize yield improvements seen in the US corn belt state of Nebraska can be attributed to a more favorable climate, rather than improved crop genetics, a new scientific study has found. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal PNAS by researchers based at the University of…

New AATF boss blames ignorance for slow uptake of ag biotech

Dr. Canisius Kanangire, the newly appointed executive director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), was recently in Nigeria to recognize the nation for being a continental leader in the adoption and deployment of biotechnology. Kanangire, who holds a doctorate in aquatic sciences, brings more than 35 years of leadership experience, most recently…