Study Reveals Stakeholder Views and Positions on GM in Africa

A study was conducted in six African countries to examine the views of stakeholders regarding the development and regulation of GM crops. The study involved 305 interview respondents from South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Tunisia, Ghana, and Nigeria. Results revealed the challenges leading to the development of biosafety regulatory frameworks and the role of individual stakeholders in the facilitation of GM crops across African countries. It was also revealed that some countries may go through a Fiber–Feed–Food (F3) approach to adopt GM crops where Bt cotton will be adopted first followed by GM crops for livestock feed while undergoing all the necessary assessments before producing GM foods for human consumption. A significant number of the stakeholders gave emphasis on risk analysis (risk assessment and management) in view of limited capacity, lack of scientific expertise and public concern, and encouraged a centralized approach to risk assessment similar to the European Union model of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Read more about the results of the study at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919213001346.