NASAC

Harnessing Modern Agricultural Biotechnology for Africa's Economic Development

Harnessing Modern Agricultural Biotechnology for Africa’s Economic Development

Summary

The Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), with the support of its member academies, has released a science-policy document titled *Harnessing Modern Agricultural Biotechnology for Africa’s Economic Development: Recommendations to Policymakers*. This document underscores the critical importance of adopting agricultural biotechnology (Agric-Biotech) for Africa’s growth and development. It is the result of a collaborative effort between NASAC and the German National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina, with funding provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF).

Over the past twenty years, modern biotechnology, particularly the use of genetically modified (GM) organisms, has been a focal point of global policy discussions. Agriculture has been the primary sector leveraging this technology, primarily to address production challenges, improve crop yields, enhance quality, and boost nutritional value through the commercial cultivation of GM crops. While the development of GM livestock and environmentally significant animals is still in its early stages, global discourse has largely revolved around the integration of GM crops into agricultural systems within sustainably managed, biodiverse ecosystems. For African nations, the need to embrace modern agricultural biotechnology by implementing supportive policies and robust biosafety regulations is more urgent than ever.

In this context, NASAC, in partnership with the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the African Union Commission (AUC), co-organized an expert workshop on Agricultural Biotechnology. This event, held on February 25–26, 2014, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Building on the outcomes of this workshop, NASAC and Leopoldina continued their collaboration to produce a policymakers’ booklet on agricultural biotechnology. This resource aims to provide African governments and business leaders with scientifically grounded evidence to inform their policy and decision-making processes, ultimately driving economic development across the continent.

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