The Biotechnology Revolution and Its Implication for Food Security in Africa

The Biotechnology Revolution and Its Implication for Food Security in Africa PDF Author: Victor Konde
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Agricultural biotechnology
Languages : en
Pages : 44

Get Book Here

Book Description

The Biotechnology Revolution and Its Implication for Food Security in Africa

The Biotechnology Revolution and Its Implication for Food Security in Africa PDF Author: Victor Konde
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Agricultural biotechnology
Languages : en
Pages : 44

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Gene Revolution and Global Food Security

The Gene Revolution and Global Food Security PDF Author: B. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230277993
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 255

Get Book Here

Book Description
Using the concept of innovation capacity, this book, using recent field data from countries in Asia and Africa, competently demonstrates how biotechnology can contribute to sustainable economic development. The approach articulates the imperative for developing countries to build up specific capabilities backed up by policies and institutions.

Biotechnology, Agriculture, and Food Security in Southern Africa

Biotechnology, Agriculture, and Food Security in Southern Africa PDF Author: Steven Were Omamo
Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN: 0896297373
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book brings together experts from within and outside Africa to discuss the current status of biotechnology in southern Africa, the conceptual framework for multistakeholder dialogues, the political and ethical issues surrounding biotechnology, food safety and consumer issues, biosafety, intellectual property rights, and trade involving genetically modified foods.

Sociopolitical Effects of New Biotechnologies in Developing Countries.

Sociopolitical Effects of New Biotechnologies in Developing Countries. PDF Author: Klaus M. Leisinger
Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN: 0896296091
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 24

Get Book Here

Book Description
Assuring food security for the next 25 years requires meeting a number of political, social, economic, and technical challenges. One of these is the successful use of new biotechnologies in agriculture. Research in recombinant genetics and biotechnology aims to develop plant varieties that provide reliable high yields at the same or lower costs by breeding in qualities such as resistance to disease, pests, and stress factors such as aridity. Realization of these goals could lead to tremendous gains in food production. However, biotechnology is now evoking the same objections that have been raised against the Green Revolution—that its benefits are distributed inequitably in favor of the large, rich farmers and that it is potentially environmentally destructive. In this brief, Leisinger discusses the need for biotechnology and its sociopolitical ramifications and he looks at the roles played by the public and private sectors. In conclusion, the author states that biotechnology offers no silver bullet for food security — there are no silver bullets—but biotechnology is an important instrument in the difficult fight against hunger. The sociopolitical obstacles must be removed not only for the successful implementation of biotechnology, but also for an equitable and sustainable tomorrow for the world.

Africa's Gene Revolution

Africa's Gene Revolution PDF Author: Matthew A. Schnurr
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0228000459
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 277

Get Book Here

Book Description
As development donors invest hundreds of millions of dollars into improved crops designed to alleviate poverty and hunger, Africa has emerged as the final frontier in the global debate over agricultural biotechnology. The first data-driven assessment of the ecological, social, and political factors that shape our understanding of genetic modification, Africa's Gene Revolution surveys twenty years of efforts to use genomics-based breeding to enhance yields and livelihoods for African farmers. Matthew Schnurr considers the full range of biotechnologies currently in commercial use and those in development - including hybrids, marker-assisted breeding, tissue culture, and genetic engineering. Drawing on interviews with biotechnology experts alongside research conducted with more than two hundred farmers across eastern, western, and southern Africa, Schnurr reveals a profound incongruity between the optimistic rhetoric that accompanies genetic modification technology and the realities of the smallholder farmers who are its intended beneficiaries. Through the lens of political ecology, this book demonstrates that the current emphasis on improved seeds discounts the geographic, social, ecological, and economic contexts in which the producers of these crops operate. Bringing the voices of farmers to the foreground of this polarizing debate, Africa's Gene Revolution contends that meaningful change will come from a reconfiguration not only of the plant's genome, but of the entire agricultural system.

Biotechnology and the Future of Africa's Agriculture

Biotechnology and the Future of Africa's Agriculture PDF Author: Fikremarkos Merso Birhanu
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
Even after more than 15 years of the emergence of modern biotechnology in agriculture, much of Africa remains reluctant if not hostile to it. Some view modern biotechnology as the new messiah to lift Africa from starvation and food insecurity while others hold the contrary view and advise Africa to stay away from the technology for reasons ranging from health and environmental concerns to economic considerations. They fear that the unfolding 'gene revolution' is destined to fail on its promises because of the existing complex economic, social, and political circumstances in Africa as was the case in the green revolution. Africa continues to be gripped in the polarized debate so much so that it is unable to make informed decision on a technology with promises that could potentially address some of the problems of agriculture in the continent. This paper explores issues related to modern biotechnology in general and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in particular in the context of Africa. To that end, it begins by briefly exploring the debate on modern biotechnology and relating it to the context of Africa. It then presents the state of modern biotechnology in Africa and the different positions of African countries, and it subsequently examines the different concerns on GMOs in the context of Africa. The paper makes the conclusion that while technology alone may not necessarily resolve all the ills of Africa's agriculture, modern biotechnology should certainly be attractive to Africa- a continent known for a long history of poverty, chronic food insecurity and malnutrition. Modern biotechnology may assist in improving yields and quality of crops- plants could be more resistant to diseases, pests, drought or any other strenuous environmental conditions or improved strong properties or quality characteristics which are all the very evils of Africa's agriculture. The existence of divergent views on modern biotechnology should not prevent Africa from making informed decision and harnessing the benefits while at the same time ensuring its safety in terms of health and the environment as well as its relevance to the needs and priorities of the continent. Presented at the SIEL 2010 Conference in Barcelona.

Biotechnology-revolution

Biotechnology-revolution PDF Author: Samuel Nana-Sinkam
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Agricultural biotechnology
Languages : en
Pages : 68

Get Book Here

Book Description


Agricultural Biotechnology Reconsidered

Agricultural Biotechnology Reconsidered PDF Author: Noah Zerbe
Publisher: Africa Research and Publications
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 252

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Green Revolution and Food Security in Africa

The Green Revolution and Food Security in Africa PDF Author: Philip Woodhouse
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Agricultural innovations
Languages : en
Pages : 49

Get Book Here

Book Description


Africa’s Green Revolution

Africa’s Green Revolution PDF Author: William G. Moseley
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317288068
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 261

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume examines the dominant neoliberal agenda for agricultural development and hunger alleviation in Africa. The text reviews the history of African agricultural and food security policy in the post-colonial period, across a range of geographical contexts, in order to contextualise the productionist approach embedded in the much heralded New Green Revolution for Africa. This strategy, supported by a range of international agencies, promotes the use of hybrid seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides to boost crop production. This approach is underpinned by a new and unprecedented level of public–private partnerships as donors actively work to promote the private sector and build links between African farmers, input suppliers, agro-dealers, agro-processors, and retailers. On the consumer end, increased supermarket penetration into poorer neighbourhoods is proffered as a solution to urban food insecurity. The chapters in this volume complicate understandings of this new approach and raise serious questions about its effectiveness as a strategy for increasing food production and alleviating poverty across the continent. This book is based on a special issue of African Geographical Review.