Researchers Promote Biotechnology to Improve Food Security in Africa

To combat malnutrition and food shortage in Africa, farmers must use modern farming techniques such as conventional breeding and biotechnology methods, says a group of scientist from Uganda, South Africa, and Germany in a report titled GMOs for African Agriculture, Challenges and Opportunities. The report containing contributions from researchers from the Academy of Science in South Africa (ASSAf), Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS), Union of German Academies and Humanities, and Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), was launched in Kampala during the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) on 22 October 2010.

According to Professor Patrick Rubaihayo, one of the six planning committee members, the committee decided in their 2009 meeting that the study would focus on the opportunities and challenges in using genetically modified crops to address food insecurity problems of the continent.

"Over the past 40 years the world's population has doubled to six billion people. According to the United States projection it could go as high as 10.7 billion in 2050. At present, about 800 million people in the world are chronically malnourished and 40% of the world's children experience stunted growth, 33% are underweight and 10% are wasted therefore a need to increased food production," Professor Rubaihayo said.

Read the original article at http://www.einnews.com/news.php?wid=321731836. The report can be downloaded at http://www.assaf.org.za/wp-content/uploads/PDF/ASSAf%20GMO%20African%20Agriculture%202010%20Web.pdf.