Are transgenic crops safe gm agriculture in africa

The controversies surrounding transgenic crops, often called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs

), call for a need to raise the level of public awareness of Genetic Modification (GM) technology in Africa. This should be accomplished by educating the public about the potential benefits and risks that may be associated with this new technology.

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Can transgenic crops help solve Africa’s food security challenges?

He argues that transgenic crops should be given a chance in Africa to help solve the continent’s food, agriculture and human security challenges. The controversies surrounding transgenic crops — a type of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) — underline the need to raise public awareness on GM technology in Africa.

Why don’t African farmers use genetically modified crops?

Yet the adoption of GM technology is currently faced with several constraints: lack of infrastructure, inadequate human resource capacity, poor education, biosafety regulation and concerns over intellectual property rights. African farmers need fast technology that can solve part of their agricultural problems.

Why the push for GM crops in Africa?

The push for GM crops is part of a shift towards corporate-led agricultural R&D that has been happening in other areas of the world for some time now and is spreading to Africa. GM crops bring a range of new elements into agricultural R&D, most notably patents that have given TNCs more control over public research and the world’s seed supply.

What are the biggest threats to GM adoption in Africa?

But the controversy over the use of GM technology remains one of the biggest threats to its broad-based adoption. The current regulatory approaches of the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) can play an important role in the adoption of GM technology in developing countries, particularly in Africa.

Are GMOs allowed in Africa?

In Africa, GMOs are beginning to become a part of modern agriculture, but as of now, only in small ways. As of 2019, just five of Africa’s 47 countries allowed GMO crops to be grown: South Africa, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Egypt and Nigeria.

Are GM crops safe?

Yes. There is no evidence that a crop is dangerous to eat just because it is GM. There could be risks associated with the specific new gene introduced, which is why each crop with a new characteristic introduced by GM is subject to close scrutiny.

What are the 3 risks of GMOs in agriculture?

What are the new “unexpected effects” and health risks posed by genetic engineering?Toxicity. Genetically engineered foods are inherently unstable. … Allergic Reactions. … Antibiotic Resistance. … Immuno-suppression. … Cancer. … Loss of Nutrition.

What are potential risks of transgenic crops?

These include enhanced pathogenicity, emergence of a new disease, pest or weed, increased disease burden if the recipient organism is a pathogenic microorganism or virus, increased weed or pest burden if the recipient organism is a plant or invertebrate, and adverse effects on species, communities, or ecosystems.

How safe are genetically modified foods?

GM foods currently available on the international market have passed safety assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health. In addition, no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of such foods by the general population in the countries where they have been approved.

What are the issues of concerns of GMOs to the environment?

A major environmental concern associated with GM crops is their potential to create new weeds through out-crossing with wild relatives, or simply by persisting in the wild themselves. The potential for the above to happen is assessed prior to introduction, and is monitored after the crop is planted as well.

What are the pros and cons of genetically modified crops?

The pros of GMO crops are that they may contain more nutrients, are grown with fewer pesticides, and are usually cheaper than their non-GMO counterparts. The cons of GMO foods are that they may cause allergic reactions because of their altered DNA and they may increase antibiotic resistance.

Are GMOs harmful?

A group of scientists did an extensive review of research on the safety of crops from GMOs over the past 10 years. They found no significant harm directly tied to genetic engineering. And the American Medical Association thinks genetically modified foods are OK.

What are the possible reasons not to allow GMOs in a country?

Why we are against GMOsBiodiversity. Where they are grown, GM crops occupy large surface areas and are linked to intensive monoculture systems that wipe out other crop and ecosystems. … Toxic Crops, Toxic Land. … Corporate Control. … Threat to Small-Scale Farmers. … Food Culture. … Hunger.

What are the risk and benefits of GMOs?

The most notable GMO risks to humans are the potential development of allergens to GM related crops and toxicity from GM crops. However, studies also show GM crops have benefits including the increased nutritional value in foods.

What are the disadvantages of GM foods?

Various Cons of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)They might contribute to a rise in allergic reactions. … Genetic food can prompt allergic reactions from different foods. … GMOs may contribute to antibiotic resistance. … Some research has linked GMOs to cancer. … Very few companies are in charge of all the GMO seed market.More items…

Why is Africa so slow to embrace GM?

Africa’s relatively slow embrace of the “gene revolution”, particularly GM technology, has, in part, stemmed from lack of access to GM crops available to beneficiaries such as farmers and scientists. This is partly due to international influence against GMOs.

Is the US a good example of Africa?

Given both the lack of global consensus on GMOs and the growing need to regulate GMO products, the US may offer a good example for Africa and the rest of the world. It is one of the few developed countries to grow GM crops on a commercial basis (more than 70 per cent of foods in the US contain GMOs) and is a leader in the safe application of GMO products.

What are transgenic crops called?

The controversies surrounding transgenic crops, often called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), call for a need to raise the level of public awareness of Genetic Modification (GM) technology in Africa. This should be accomplished by educating the public about the potential benefits and risks that may be associated with this new technology. In the last 15 years, GM crop producing countries have benefited from adoption of this new technology in the form of improved crop productivity, food security, and quality of life. The increased income to resource-poor farmers is a key benefit at the individual level especially as most countries using this technology are in the developing world, including three African countries (South Africa, Burkina Faso and Egypt). Despite clear benefits to countries and farmers who grow GMOs, many people are concerned about suspected potential risks associated with GMOs. This sparks debate as to whether GM technology should be adopted or not. Given the concerns regarding the safety of GMO products, thorough scientific investigation of safe application of GMOs is required. The objective of this paper is to respond to the issues of GM agriculture in Africa and some of the issues surrounding the adoption of GM crops between developed and developing countries. In this article, I analyse relevant papers relating to the adoption of GM technology particularly in developing countries including the few African countries that have adopted GM crops. The issues discussed span a wide range including: safety; potential benefits and risks; disputes between the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) over adoption of GM crops with a focus on Africa continent. This article is concluded by summarising the issues raised and how GM technology can be adopted for agricultural development in Africa.

How does GM technology help Africa?

Therefore, GM technology must be allowed to play a part in alleviating hunger and poverty in Africa.

What was the difference between the Green Revolution and the Gene Revolution?

The emergence of the Gene Revolution is assumed to play a significant role whereas the Green Revolution was not able to deliver in Africa. The slow embracement of the Gene Revolution in Africa, particularly GM technology, is the lack of access for beneficiaries such as farmers and scientists to GM crops.

Why is agriculture important in Africa?

Africa must take action. Agriculture plays a significant role in the economy of African countries in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), promoting international trade, industrial development and creation of job opportunities. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve agricultural production.

How many farmers planted GM crops in 2010?

Of 15.4 million farmers that planted GM crops in 2010, over 90% (14.4 million) are resource-poor farmers in developing countries, including three African countries (Burkina Faso, South Africa and Egypt), that benefited from the adoption of GM crops [ 9 ].

Why are GMOs important?

It is important to ensure the safety of all citizens that consume GM foods either in Africa or any part of the world. Not many countries are using GMOs in agricultural production around the world due to health and environmental concerns associated with the application of GMOs. The USA is one of the few developed countries growing GM crops on a commercial basis. More than 70 percent of some foods in the USA contain GMOs [ 37 ], yet no American citizen or others that have consumed their foods have been confirmed seriously ill or dead as a result of GMO consumption.

Which countries are testing GMOs?

Other GM producing countries, including Canada, Australia, China, and Argentina are carrying out similar tests to ensure that GMO products are safe for human consumption.

What are transgenic crops called?

ABSTRACT: The controversies surrounding transgenic crops, often called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), call for a need to raise the level of public awareness of Genetic Modification (GM) technology in Africa. This should be accomplished by educating the public about the potential benefits and risks that may be associated with this new technology. In the last 15 years, GM crop producing countries have benefited from adoption of this new technology in the form of improved crop productivity, food security, and quality of life. The increased income to resource-poor farmers is a key benefit at the individual level especially as most countries using this technology are in the developing world, including three African countries (South Africa, Burkina Faso and Egypt). Despite clear benefits to countries and farmers who grow GMOs, many people are concerned about suspected potential risks associated with GMOs. This sparks debate as to whether GM technology should be adopted or not. Given the concerns regarding the safety of GMO products, thorough scientific investigation of safe application of GMOs is required. The objective of this paper is to respond to the issues of GM agriculture in Africa and some of the issues surrounding the adoption of GM crops between developed and developing countries. In this article, I analyse relevant papers relating to the adoption of GM technology particularly in developing countries including the few African countries that have adopted GM crops. The issues discussed span a wide range including: safety; potential benefits and risks; disputes between the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) over adoption of GM crops with a focus on Africa continent. This article is concluded by summarising the issues raised and how GM technology can be adopted for agricultural development in Africa.

How does biotechnology help the world?

Thus, biotechnology could enhance global food production and availability in a sustainable way. Studies have shown that transgenic crops are very appropriate for agricultural producers and consumers in developing countries as the entire technology can be packaged into the seed. It can easily be integrated into traditional smallholder farming systems through proper stewardship. Except for a few innovative transfer projects, the application of biotechnology until now remains concentrated in the industrialized world. However due to insufficient owned scientific and regulatory capacities, the increase in privatized international agricultural research and the strengthening of intellectual property rights of these organizations complicate the access of developing countries to biotechnology. Therefore, profound government and Institutional adjustments that cuts across new technologies and regulations are essential to ensuring that biotechnology does not bypass the resource poor, smallholder farmers in Africa and Nigeria in particular.

Why are African soils unsuitable for monoculture?

African soils are generally unsuitable to intensive, monoculture production because of insufficient or excessive rains, high incidence of diseases and pests, and other factors. 8 Proper agricultural management requires a much more complex approach, as farmers across Africa know only too well.

Is sweetpotato a crop?

Sweetpotato is a major crop in small-scale agriculture throughout Africa. It is regarded as an insurance crop, offering an important source of food, income, and animal feed. There is very little commercial sweetpotato production in Africa, and most of it is grown using sustainable agriculture methods, without chemical inputs. Public and private researchers have paid relatively little attention to sweetpotato, despite its importance to the rural poor in Africa. Nevertheless, farmers have developed many varieties of sweetpotato on their own and have had a great deal of success in managing pests and diseases.#N#Under certain conditions disease can present a problem. The sweet potato virus disease (SPVD) is perhaps the most important disease affecting sweetpotato production. It forms through the interaction of two other diseases, sweetpotato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) and sweetpotato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), neither of which present a problem on their own.