July 9, 2009

Dr. Daniel Mataruka of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has written an original article for the Council for Biotechnology Information blog on the role of ag biotech in Africa. Dr. Mataruka writes:

"During the past decade, Africa's population increased from 760 to 970 million, pushing farmers to encroach on fragile ecosystems. Climate change is increasingly manifest through erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged drought spells, and unprecedented floods, making rain-fed agriculture even more risky, thus aggravating food insecurity among resource-poor smallholder farmers. Compounding this scenario are post-harvest pests that devour their meager harvests. Indeed, the challenges are great, sometimes disillusioning, but certainly not insurmountable. Under these circumstances, GM technologies have a role in addressing challenges that were previously elusive to classical breeding on its own."

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The Council for Biotechnology Information communicates science-based information about the benefits and safety of agricultural biotechnology and its contributions to sustainable development.

Website: http://www.whybiotech.com

Published: July 9, 2009