Time for Kenya to tap huge GMOs potential

While food security continues to dodge the world and Africa in particular, time has come for Kenya to lift the ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and embrace the biotechnology to boost food production.

Unless such technology is employed here and the continent, the fast growing population will still suffer bouts of hunger.

This is the reason scientists want authorities to use the benefits of science to deal with the problems of hunger and poverty.

Experts argue that biotechnology is transforming developing countries that have appropriated its applications. China and Thailand are study cases. Here, agricultural biotechnology has been applied to solve food and other crop-production challenges.

For example, GM cotton is famed for reviving the textile industry in China after a long period of desperation and use of unpopular synthetics.

Closer home in Africa, GM cotton has created a crucial export for Burkina Faso. Similar crops are in production in Egypt and South Africa with good economic returns.

In Kenya, the public is yet to be educated on the real applications and huge potential of this technology to make rational choices.

It is for this reason that Egerton University, a premier agricultural training institution, is being challenged to be at the forefront in biotechnology and development of GM products.

There is a real opportunity to be explored and contribute to the realisation of the economic pillar of Kenya’s Visions 2030.

It’s time that formal and informal education and information programmes in biotechnology and GMOs awareness are rolled out to serve a large number of beneficiaries such as farmers, stakeholders in the agribusiness sector, governmental and non-governmental institutions, consumers and the general public, the media, policy makers, non-biotechnology academics, religious organisations and students, including primary school children.

The move will put in doubt the resistance by those against GMOs who argue that such food has not been certified fit for human consumption.

With such kind of approach the myths and superstitions regarding biotechnology will be exposed and the truth will suffice. To echo Deputy President Willam Ruto: “We need to ask ourselves; how do we get farmers to use benefits of science and biotechnology to deal with the problems of hunger and poverty? We should endeavour to demystify scientific and technological knowledge for farmers so that this knowledge can be applied to ensure food security.”

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GMO Willam Ruto