The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), has called on governments across Africa to adopt agricultural biotechnology to avert food shortages, describing it as one of the technologies that needs concerted efforts for promotion because it suffers from unwarranted criticism.
The executive director of AATF, Canisius Kanangire, noted at the 2022 Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Media Award that OFAB through the media helps dispel misinformation and propaganda on biotechnology by providing science-based evidence.
AATF supports farmers in Africa, especially smallholder farmers, in their quest for access to the best agricultural technology through various projects that position technology transfer as a priority for Africa’s agricultural progress.
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The foundation is active in 23 countries in East, Southern, and West Africa to address challenges bedeviling a diversified crop portfolio that combines cereals, roots, and tubers, legumes, and horticultural crops, such as maize, rice, cassava, cowpeas, bananas, and potatoes.
Kanangire explained that OFAB engages farmers, policymakers, and scientists in discussion to integrate biotechnology into the development framework of African countries to improve food production because, without food security, the continent will become porous and susceptible to many other crises.
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“As I stand here, an estimated 346 million people in Africa are affected by the food crisis, according to recent reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the African Union (AU). At 23.4 percent, the prevalence of severe food insecurity in Africa is double the world average of 11.7 percent.
The Director General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, said the OFAB Media Award presents an opportunity to appreciate journalists across Africa for their contributions to deepening the understanding of biotechnology usage in agriculture.
