Biotechnology in Africa, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2014 Emergence, Initiatives and Future Science Policy Reports Series, Vol. 7

In this book, Florence Wambugu and Daniel Kamanga of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International bring together expert African authorities to critique various biotechnology initiatives and project future developments in the field in Africa. For the first time, African voices from multidisciplinary fields as diverse as economics, agriculture, biotechnology, law, politics and academia, demand to be allowed to set the continent?s biotech development agenda. This book argues that there is a great future for biotechnology in Africa which sidesteps western interests that do not match those of the local populace. In these diverse chapters, Africa?s political and scientific leaders demand a greater say in how research and development funds are allocated and spent. They argue that Africa?s political leaders must see both clear benefits and have elbow-room to drive the change required. This is the way that African governments can employ workable policies, suitable biosafety legislation and regulation and respond effectively to public-private partnerships. Wambugu and Kamanga show that biotechnology has the potential to improve food security and standard of living as well as mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change on the African continent.

Introduction: The Importance of Political Will in furthering Agricultural Biotechnology for Economic Growth, Food and Nutritional Security in Africa.- Commercialized Genetically Modified Crops: Biotech (Bt) Cotton in Burkina Faso Demonstrates that Political Will is Key for Biotechnology to Benefit Commercial Agriculture in Africa.- Opportunities and Challenges of Commercializing Biotech Products in Egypt: Biotech (Bt) Maize: A Case Study.- Genetically Modified Crops Commercialized in South Africa.- Building the Bio-economy and Commercialization Challenges: Moving Africa Towards a Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy.- Biotechnology Success Stories by the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) System.- Towards Optimizing the Impact of Tissue Culture Banana in Kenya.- Technologies in Development: The Use of African Indigenous Genes in the Development of Transgenic Maize Tolerant to Drought and Resistant to Maize Streak Virus.-Biotechnology of Nutritionally Enhanced Food Crops Targeting Malnutrition in Rural Agricultural Populations: The Case Study of Africa Biofortified Sorghum.-Capacity Development: The Role of African Universities on Training and Mentorship of Biotechnology Scientists to Embark on Future Challenges in Africa.- Elements of an Enabling Biosafety and Regulatory Environment.- Harmonization of regional bio safety and regulatory services to remove future trade barriers in the (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) COMESA region.- Communication and Community Engagement: Social Audits and their role in stakeholder-oriented innovation and fostering accountability and trust in agricultural biotechnology development programs.- Why communication and issues management must occupy a central role in GM projects: Case study of the Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) Project.- Political Challenges: Does Africa need Political will to overcome impediments to GM crop biotechnology applications for agricultural economic growth and development as in the case of Brazil, Argentina and India.- Influencing politicians and policy makers to pave the way for a viable biotechnology sector: A case study of the Nigerian Biosafety Bill drafting, passage, experiences and lessons learnt at the Parliament.- The Way Forward.