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GMO maize advancing in Kenya
Kenyan smallholder farmers may soon benefit from a maize variety that can tolerate drought and protect itself against the devastating stem borer and fall armyworm pests. Research is progressing well on the genetically modified (GM) TELA maize, revealed James Karanja, principal investigator of the TELA project. The research outcome will…
Kenya’s support for GMO crops likely to influence East Africa
For nearly 20 years, Kenya has attempted to adopt the better-yielding and disease- and drought-tolerant crop varieties bred through genetic engineering. But like the rest of the continent — aside from South Africa and Sudan, which are already growing insect-resistant Bt maize and cotton — it made little tangible headway…
Ghana’s delay in approving GMOs is an injustice to the ordinary farmer
As renowned scientist Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If I am asked to describe Ghana’s agricultural industry, I guess this famous quote could be my best description. Ghana has prided itself over the years on agriculture being…
Kenyan pesticide makers attack use of GMO crops in Africa
The organic industry’s economically-driven opposition to genetically modified crops has expanded to include a Kenya consortium that makes plant-based pesticides. Though it’s been documented that Western organic industry groups stoke the fires of the anti-GMO movement and fund anti-GMO activists and researchers, the opposition by Kenya Pyrethrum…
Anti-GMO website promotes new conspiracy theory linking GMOs with supposed campaign to ‘eliminate Africans’
Anti-GMO and anti-vaccine conspiracy theories can have a real and very damaging influence on popular opinion and policy far and wide.
How CRISPR gene-editing technology could change the way we eat
A precise gene-editing technology can make crops tastier, more nutritious, and more resilient to climate change. But can it avoid the “GMO curse”? Could genetically modified and genetically engineered crops be the key to feeding a growing global population in the face of climate change? Changes to plant DNA can…
Alliance for Science partners with AfPBA to train scientists on gene editing communication
The Alliance for Science collaborated with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), the Africa Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCCC), and the World Agroforestry Center to hold a training session on science communication to help amplify the voices of researchers and PhD students working in the…
Beyond boundaries: Pablo Orozco’s global impact
For almost a decade, the Alliance for Science has been at the forefront of efforts to create a future where science is a primary vehicle for helping end poverty, eliminate hunger, and restore our planet. One man who has been at the center of the Alliance for Science’s efforts…
Biotechnology: Quality science communication needed to counter misinformation
Panelists at the ongoing African Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT) in Nairobi, Kenya, said that quality science communication is urgently needed to counter the barrage of misinformation militating against the effective adoption of technology in the African agricultural sector. One of the panels, comprising reputable scientists, regulators, policymakers, and…