Viewpoint: Why Rwanda and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa need to embrace genetically modified crops

Crops receiving much research attention include beans, bananas, cassava and sweet potatoes, but Rwanda can offer much more. Credit: Savane Rutongo-Kabuye
Crops receiving much research attention include beans, bananas, cassava and sweet potatoes, but Rwanda can offer much more. Credit: Savane Rutongo-Kabuye

According to the recent publication “Plant biotechnology: A key tool to improve crop production in Rwanda” published in African Journal of Biotechnology by Leonce Dusengemungu, Clement Igiraneza and Sonia Uwimbabazi, intensive and appealing discussions about agriculture economic importance, production of improved crops and the use of all necessary resources to ameliorate agricultural production need more attention.

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The trio said that the use of biotechnology tools to protect seed distributed among farmers, biological control agents and testing varieties of seed identity and purity before their distribution are primary tools that can benefit African farmers.

“In this context, it is recommended for developing African countries to start thinking about pursuing gene transfer to breed-disease and introduction of pest resistant varieties in order to meet the future food’s needs,” they recommended.

The modern agriculture biotechnology, they said, is needed as the conventional agricultural research does not keep an equal distribution between the high demand of food and the supply chain.

Considering the potential benefit that plant biotechnology holds, it should be considered in the framework of the agricultural sector at large perceiving scientific, technical, regulatory, socio-economic and political evolution, they recommended.

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here

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