Biotech Updates

Gates Foundation Gives US$3M to OFAB for Biotech Adoption

May 18, 2012

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given US$3 million to Kenya's Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) to increase awareness and adoption of genetically modified crops in the region. The grant will address existing information gaps and concerns about agricultural biotechnology in Africa.

Dr. Dennis Kyetere, Executive Director of African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) said that the grant will facilitate the interaction of scientists involved in biotechnology research with journalists, policy makers, civil society, and farmers. Dr. Kyetere also said that "policymakers and the people they serve need to have the right information on agricultural biotechnology to guide decision-making and subsequent action."

The grant comes at a time when Kenya is nearly set to release Bt cotton, joining other farmers in South Africa and Burkina Faso who are already enjoying the benefits of the same crop in their fields.

More details about this grant are available at http://allafrica.com/stories/201205071609.html