This week in the B4FA Week in Review, Scientific American reports on the birth of the GMO debate, while The Economist reports on a new green revolution for rice.

The B4FA Media Fellows have shared their most recent articles, including reports on biotech acceptance in Africa, pod borer resistant cowpea and several videos on sweet potato varieties and maize necrosis in Uganda.

Don’t miss our latest Viewpoint essays by Michael J. Ssali (“Why I changed my mind about biotechnology for African countries”) and Paul Seward (“Changing the lives of smallholder farmers – A personal journey”).

Watch our latest video which brings together clips of B4FA’s Media Fellows commenting on their initial views of bioscience, including Michael J. Ssali who has also written an essay this week.  It will also be shown on 16 May at The Humanitarian Centre event “Food Security, Biotechnology and Genetic Modification – a mature conversation” in Cambridge, UK.

A note from Lominda Afedraru, one of B4FA’s Media Fellows: “This year is really a blessed one for me, I and Christopher Bendana [also a B4FA Media Fellow] have been recognised by the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) for successfully participating in a science/journalist paring scheme under the Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa (VIRCA), a great thank you to the B4FA project team.”  Congratulations Lominda and Christopher!

Opportunity for all B4FA Media Fellows: Please send your 300-word contributions for the 2014 Cambridge International Development Report to [email protected] by 13 June. The theme: “share your thoughts on the media’s role in advancing the conversation about the role of biosciences for food security in Africa.”

Please note that the B4FA Week in Review will now be a biweekly edition.  The next issue will be sent on 27 May.

If you have any questions/comments about our ‘Week in Review’ or would like to share articles, please contact Molly Hurley-Depret at [email protected]

Biosciences and Plant Genetics

Ghana

Biotechnology crucial to the pursuit of global food security

Farmers protest against intended destruction of cocoa farms

AATF plans commercialization of Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea  
Africa’s policy makers, scientists tasked on food security 
Daily Trust, by B4FA Media Fellow Ojoma Akor

Benue farmers to FG: Walk the talk on crops processing zone
Benue pegs fertiliser price at N3,300
More Benue farmers to benefit from GES
Daily Trust, by B4FA Media Fellow Hope Abah

OFAB recommends forum to champion biotech in Africa
News Diary Online, by B4FA Media Fellow Abdallah el-Kurebe

IITA lauds success of agripreneur programme

Tanzania

Biotech crops gain increasing global popularity
East African Business Week, by B4FA Media Fellow Leonard Magomba

Tanzania launch of ISAAA report (Adam Malima atoa changamoto kwa wanasayansi na serikali wakati wa uzinduzi wa ripoti ya ISAAA)
Biotechnology in Tanzania (Bila bioteknolojia hakuna kilimo kwanza Tanzania)
By B4FA Media Fellow Lydia Mapunda

Uganda