Tapping into the Potential of Young African Scientists to combat Misinformation on Agricultural Innovations
The growing adoption of agricultural biotechnology in Africa, like the early days of technologies such as cell phones, vaccines, and aeroplanes, has faced its share of controversies and challenges as it becomes more widely integrated. These challenges often include public skepticism, misinformation, regulatory hurdles, and ethical concerns, which are common during the broader adoption and […]
Synthetic biology offers huge prospects for Kenya
The early 21st century has witnessed Africa adopt agricultural technology enormously. From mechanization to genetic modification. In fact, more than 70 countries have adopted and commercialized genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Genome editing and synthetic biology are other exciting bioscience innovations that offer viable solutions to contemporary challenges in agriculture, human health and environmental sustainability especially […]
Agri-Biotech: A Potential Economic Enabler for Kenya
Have you ever pondered how we can make our agriculture industry into a job-creating powerhouse? Well, modern agricultural biotechnology has the power to completely transform Kenya’s economy and usher in a time in the future when our wallets will be as full as our tummies! Modern agricultural biotechnology involves application of scientific techniques such as […]
Meet Young Biotech Scientists Championing for Biodiversity Conservation in Kenya
After a fast-paced two-day early career scientists’ workshop at the University of Embu, The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Kenya (OFAB-Kenya) and partners organized a sensitization forum and study visit to a Bt cotton farm in Kirinyaga, central Kenya. A beloved crop in the 90s, cotton’s lucrativeness waned with failing produce and weakening markets, until Bt cotton arrived […]
Kenyan Stakeholders determined to stem the Spread of Misinformation about Biotech
To nip the spread of misinformation in the bud, ISAAA AfriCenter held two significant sensitization events on 28th and 29th May 2024. The two, a Research Officers’ Biosafety Misinformation Sensing short course and OFAB-Kenya Luncheon, were held in Naivasha, Rift Valley, during the 12th Annual Biosafety Conference. These two brought together stakeholders from various sectors […]
Enzyme Manufacturing Masterclass, a Game-changer in Africa’s Quest to produce Homegrown Reagents
The cohort of 30, the second group to benefit from the Africa Biosciences Hubs (AfriBIOHubs) training initiative, left fulfilled after the conclusion of a week-long Enzyme Manufacturing Masterclass (EMM) course held in June this year. The trainees gained invaluable insights on optimizing available resources, collaborating in research, and commercializing their lab work. The Enzyme Manufacturing […]
Inside Africa’s ambitious Plans to build a Robust Food Safety System
It would be ingenious for Africa to establish a food safety agency that will ensure efficient multi-sectoral coordination of food safety systems on the continent. Food safety holds an important place in Africa’s quest to become food-secure, healthier and prosperous in the face of climate change. Accordingly, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) is strongly […]
Eric Okoree, the Man who transformed Ghana’s Biosafety System
Eric Okoree is confident Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA) is set for stratospheric heights even without him, feeling an increasingly strong sense of goodwill from policymakers, researchers and farmers. He speaks with so much passion about the NBA, and this future thrills him, yet he will be admiring whatever comes next from someplace else. At […]
Zambian Biotech Experts Chart the Course for Genome Editing in the Country
Misinformation and poor public perceptions about modern biotechnology could derail Africa’s bid to tap into the potential of genome editing to increase agricultural productivity in the face of climate change. This emerged during a biotechnology workshop for Zambian biotech scientists and regulators co-organized by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the University of California-Davis, […]
One Health Café: Experts share a table with Journalists in Botswana
Attended by journalists and presenters from print, television and radio networks in Botswana, experts in One Health from key line ministries, and academia, the science café – held on on 19th April – sought to establish a lasting connection between scientists and journalists. While setting the agenda, Bibiana Iraki, Senior Program Officer at ISAAA AfriCenter […]