West AFrica
April 4, 2007
Wagdy Sawahel,
SciDev.Net
The 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States
have agreed to use biotechnology to increase food production in
the region.
Ministers of agriculture, environment, science and technology
met to discuss the issues surrounding biotechnology in
agriculture at a meeting held last week (28–30 March) in Accra,
Ghana.
They adopted a regional action plan for biotechnology
development for 2006–2010, which stresses the use of
public-private partnerships to increase investment in
biotechnology, and the need to put safety measures in place at
national and regional levels.
The plan calls for a network of biotechnology experts to be
established, and the promotion of networking between centres of
excellence in biotechnology and the West and Central African
Biosciences facility planned by the New Partnership for African
Development.
The ministers also agreed to set up an independent fund for
assessing the socio-economic impacts of using genetically
modified (GM) organisms.
A regional policy for managing intellectual property rights to
help with the acquisition, development and distribution of
biotechnology knowledge and new technologies will also be
developed.
But the meeting drew criticism from non-governmental
organisations, scientists, farmers and consumer groups who met
at a parallel meeting to criticise the 'biotech industry
interference' in the process, and the lack of provision for
GM-free zones.
However scientists contacted by SciDev.Net welcomed the plan.
Baboucarr Manneh, a Gambian researcher at the biotechnology unit
of the Africa Rice Center in Benin, said it has the potential to
improve agricultural productivity in West Africa.
He pointed to a number of biotechnology applications needed in
West African countries, such as the use of antibodies and
biopesticides against crop, animal and human diseases.
Manneh indicated the necessity of producing disease-free plants
such as bananas, cassava and fruit trees, and plants resistant
to environmental stresses.
He also highlighted the importance of improving the nutritional
qualities of existing crop varieties and animal breeds.
To address public fears about biotechnology, the ministers
agreed to establish a network of national information and
communication units responsible for raising public awareness of
biotechnology.
The Economic Community of West African States includes Benin,
Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra
Leone and Togo. |
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