A continental seed body on Friday [Nov. 17] supported the coexistence of genetically modified (GMO) seeds and conventional ones.
The Secretary General of African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) Justin Rakotoarisaona said farmers stand to benefit greatly once they embrace modern agricultural tools.
“The use of improved GMO seeds is poised to make inroads into African agriculture in the near future, hence the need to address co-existence of biotech and conventional crops,” Rakotoarisaona told Xinhua….
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He also said there was no need to fear as the emergence of modern crop biotechnology has led to development of a strict regulatory framework that governs the use and transfer of the technology.
South Africa is one of the countries in Africa that is already benefiting from the technology, while several countries have massively invested in biosafety systems and regulations to ensure safe use and application of this technology.
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“The countries that are already growing biotech crops or permit their importation have biosafety laws in place that handle matters relating to human and environmental safety,” he noted.
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AFSTA believes that the continent needs to take up and adopt new technologies like GMOs to be able to properly feed the increasing population and as well earn foreign exchange.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: African seed body backs use of genetically engineered seeds
