Biotechnology could assist Africa to become a Net Food Exporter

Feed the hungry. Improve human health. Preserve the environment. These were three simple messages from Roger Beachy, speaking at the ABIC conference hosted by Teagasc at University College Cork today, Tuesday 26 August 2008. He said;”The scientific communities have learned much about how plants function and have combined knowledge of plant genetics, biochemistry, biotechnology and agriculture.”

He believes that by using crop biotechnology, Africa could become a net food exporting continent over the next 25 years. He said: “Governments in Africa recognise that agriculture is a driver of economic growth. The Sudan could produce enough vegetables for the whole of Africa. Why should they import corn syrup? They could grow cassava instead, but there are three serious diseases that need to be taken care of. We have a solution to two of them. “

Roger Beachy is president of the Danforth Plant Science Centre in the United States, which he described to the 450 delegates at the ABIC conference as an independent, non profit research centre. He said that they don’t want to be controlled by the private sector and they don’t want them controlling the agenda.

He said that agriculture in 25 years time is not going to be the same as agriculture was in the past. Plants that are more drought tolerant, use less water, grow using less artificial fertilisers and are resistant to disease will be needed in the future. He said that they have identified the genes that can confer resistance to the disease, Fusarium head blight in wheat, for the first time.