Opportunities to enhance crop yields and reduce poverty in Africa are being lost because of a “polarised public debate” on the continent, according to a report released 21 July by international policyinstitute Chatham House.
Genetic modification (GM) research projects remain stuck at the field trial stage due to governments’ fears keeping the technology from African farmers, it says. This “deadlock” of continual field trials has allowed African governments to appease both sides of the GM debate: proponents are pleased research is done, whereas opponents are satisfied that research has not led to products on the market, the report says.
“Many of the opponents of GM crops are not interested in engagement or understanding. They want to eliminate the technology altogether,” says Calestous Juma, an international development expert at Harvard Kennedy School, United States.
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In many African countries, the report says, governments face political damage for being perceived to be too pro-GM. Policymakers are reluctant to release biotechnologies due to fears of media campaigns or a backlash from civil society, it adds. The most important improvements needed, the report notes, are engaging farmers in research to understand their needs and making sure this research translates into impact.
Read the full, original article: GM’s potential in Africa impeded by ‘dysfunctional debate’
