Week in Review - Week of 16 April - B4FA - Biosciences For Farming in Africa - B4FA

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B4FA – The Week in Review

23 April 2013

The B4FA book of essays on Africa and biosciences – ‘Insights’ – has spurred debate in both Uganda and Tanzania. In Uganda, B4FA Media Fellow Henry Lutaaya covered the launch of the book in Kampala and the reactions from scientists and politicians, while in Tanzania, articles following the launch of the book stressed the need to adopt innovations for rural farmers.

Professor Calestous Juma, a renowned Harvard University scholar, was in Uganda and talked to B4FA Media Fellow Francis Kagolo on how GMOs would boost food and income security and to B4FA Media Fellow Paschal Bagonza on how the East African Community can be the place to exchange good practices and the latest technological advances in agriculture.

In Ghana this week the meeting on food security within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attracted media attention. The meeting, held in Accra, allowed participants to review and share experiences on food production in the region.

In Nigeria, B4FA Media Fellow Hope Abah wrote about improving the country’s production through biotechnology. In an interview by B4FA Mentor Alex Abutu, Professor Diran Makinde (Director, African Biosafety Network of Expertise) urges Nigeria to expedite action on the biosafety bill. Moreover, in a very interesting audio report (download here) B4FA Media Fellow Jamila Hamisu Mai Iyali of Freedom Radio explores how biotechnology and GM crops can contribute to Nigeria’s economy and food security. Likewise, Ojoma Akor has interviewed experts on why GM crops could be beneficial to Nigerian farmers.

In Tanzania, Leonard Magomba highlights that the use of tissue culture has been urged by scientists and experts, a technique that can help ensure that vegetatively propagated crops, such as bananas, are disease-free when planted. The Director General of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), Dr Hassan Mshinda, calls for greater investment in R&D.

Finally, B4FA Media Fellow Abah Anthony John wrote an article about the recent introduction of the drought tolerant maize variety in Western Africa.

Please read on for even more interesting articles from this week! As always, we welcome your feedback at [email protected] or [email protected].

Biosciences and Plant Genetics

Farmers in West Africa to get drought tolerant maize variety

Africa STI, by B4FA Media Fellow Abah Anthony John

Book explores biotech as tool for poverty alleviation

Sunrise-Communicating for Development, by B4FA Media Fellow Henry Lutaaya

GMOs good for Africa’s development, says Harvard don

New Vision, by B4FA Media Fellow Francis Kagalo

Prof. Juma: best practices in agriculture can be shared by East African Community (audio)

Radio Sapientia, by B4FA Media Fellow Paschal B. Bagonza

American firm pulls out of Uganda over GMO law

News of East Africa, by B4FA Media Fellow Charles Kazooba

Ghana

ECOWAS regional food security meeting opens in Accra