Ebenezer T. Bifubyeka (Ten),
Biafra, Mbarara, Western Uganda.
BIOTECHNOLOGY helps farmers adapt to climate change and global warming since water continues to become a limiting factor in agricultural productivity due to effects of climate change.
The Executive Director for Science Foundation for Livelihoods and Development (Scifode), Dr. Arthur M. Makara said biotechnology will facilitate the increased productivity in response to elevated carbon dioxide and temperature.
Makara said this in his paper on ‘potential for food security, plus socio-economic and environmental impacts,’ which he presented during the first ever Uganda’s Conference for Science Communication 2008, held at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala from November 24 to 26.
The workshop with a theme, “Talking the science we all live,” was organised by Uganda science journalists association (USJA). It attracted over 300 science journalists from Uganda, Canada, UK, USA, Cameroon, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda. It was supported by World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSC), UNCST, NARO, NTV, The Sunrise, Capital Radio, Scifode and DFID.
Dr. Makara said biotechnology, which uses livings things like man, animals and micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses) will facilitate greater carbon sequestration in agriculture lands.
He said biotechnology, which aims at scaling down the 40,000 people who die everyday from hunger-related causes, leads to higher yields during more frequent droughts.
“Besides, biotechnology facilitates larger crop surpluses for industrial processing into biofuels. And greater agricultural productivity will be essential to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers’ agro-ecosystems,” he said.
Meanwhile, biotechnology, which Makara defined as the use of living organisms to produce products that may be of benefit to man, is facing challenges:
70% of agricultural land is rain-fed with unreliable water; productivity per capita per unit area is declining; our staple crops (banana, cassava, yam, sorghum, tef, millet and cowpea among others) are neglected.
“Crops and animal diseases, pests, scourges/epidemics are on the increase. Besides, in the next 25 years, increase in agricultural productivity has to depend on increased knowledge by scientists to increase yield per unit area,” he said.
Makara said that only the multinational companies will benefit from GMOs since they shall control the supply of seeds and food. He said if GM varieties are too expensive, they will be out-competed by other varieties.
“Yes, the evolution of biotechnology may affect our seed systems; it is important to have a competent regulatory system and together with economic forces, these will inform the evolution of the seed industry,” he said.
He said it will always be important for scientists and regulators to evaluate each case on its own merit and challenges.
“Seed contamination will occur if compatible plants are in proximity. Farmers might lose biodiversity over monoculture. Consequences of gene must be well understood,” he said.
Meanwhile, some African countries like South Africa, Egypt and Burkina Faso are planting genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Elsewhere, USA, Argentina, China, Brazil, India and Canada are planting GMOs.
However, the technology is causing controversy because of involving gene transfer from one organism to another to create a GMO.
Uganda is taking on the Genetic Engineering (G.E) technology, according to the Director of National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Dr. Ambrose Agona.
“We don’t want to be left behind. But we don’t take the recommendations from Europe wholesale. I cannot say that Genetic Engineering has no side effects; it’s a 50:50 kind of thing. So, we are not going to release anything until all the questions and criticisms are answered,” Agona said.
He told us during our visit to NARO that they first test for side effects before they allow the public use of GM crops. “If our research does not yield results within five years, we shall destroy everything,” Agona disclosed.
On contrary, the Research Scientists at Kawanda Agricultural Centre, Andrew Kiggundu said the warning against health and environmental effects of GM is misinformation.
“Products of Genetic Engineering are the second most regulated products after drugs. We do the whole range of tests. Even G.E food does not cause allergy to most people. We are expected to show that there are no effects,” he said. There is restricted (in an enclosure) garden of G.E bananas at Kawanda.
The convention of biological diversity (CBD) recommends that CBD parties (like Uganda) should not approve for field testing products produced through this GURTS (genetic use restricted technologies) until appropriate scientific data justifying the testing and information on impact, adverse effects, safe and beneficial use – is validated.
Ends.
The Executive Director for Science Foundation for Livelihoods and Development (Scifode), Dr. Arthur M. Makara said biotechnology will facilitate the increased productivity in response to elevated carbon dioxide and temperature.
Makara said this in his paper on ‘potential for food security, plus socio-economic and environmental impacts,’ which he presented during the first ever Uganda’s Conference for Science Communication 2008, held at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala from November 24 to 26.
The workshop with a theme, “Talking the science we all live,” was organised by Uganda science journalists association (USJA). It attracted over 300 science journalists from Uganda, Canada, UK, USA, Cameroon, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda. It was supported by World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSC), UNCST, NARO, NTV, The Sunrise, Capital Radio, Scifode and DFID.
Dr. Makara said biotechnology, which uses livings things like man, animals and micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses) will facilitate greater carbon sequestration in agriculture lands.
He said biotechnology, which aims at scaling down the 40,000 people who die everyday from hunger-related causes, leads to higher yields during more frequent droughts.
“Besides, biotechnology facilitates larger crop surpluses for industrial processing into biofuels. And greater agricultural productivity will be essential to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers’ agro-ecosystems,” he said.
Meanwhile, biotechnology, which Makara defined as the use of living organisms to produce products that may be of benefit to man, is facing challenges:
70% of agricultural land is rain-fed with unreliable water; productivity per capita per unit area is declining; our staple crops (banana, cassava, yam, sorghum, tef, millet and cowpea among others) are neglected.
“Crops and animal diseases, pests, scourges/epidemics are on the increase. Besides, in the next 25 years, increase in agricultural productivity has to depend on increased knowledge by scientists to increase yield per unit area,” he said.
Makara said that only the multinational companies will benefit from GMOs since they shall control the supply of seeds and food. He said if GM varieties are too expensive, they will be out-competed by other varieties.
“Yes, the evolution of biotechnology may affect our seed systems; it is important to have a competent regulatory system and together with economic forces, these will inform the evolution of the seed industry,” he said.
He said it will always be important for scientists and regulators to evaluate each case on its own merit and challenges.
“Seed contamination will occur if compatible plants are in proximity. Farmers might lose biodiversity over monoculture. Consequences of gene must be well understood,” he said.
Meanwhile, some African countries like South Africa, Egypt and Burkina Faso are planting genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Elsewhere, USA, Argentina, China, Brazil, India and Canada are planting GMOs.
However, the technology is causing controversy because of involving gene transfer from one organism to another to create a GMO.
Uganda is taking on the Genetic Engineering (G.E) technology, according to the Director of National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Dr. Ambrose Agona.
“We don’t want to be left behind. But we don’t take the recommendations from Europe wholesale. I cannot say that Genetic Engineering has no side effects; it’s a 50:50 kind of thing. So, we are not going to release anything until all the questions and criticisms are answered,” Agona said.
He told us during our visit to NARO that they first test for side effects before they allow the public use of GM crops. “If our research does not yield results within five years, we shall destroy everything,” Agona disclosed.
On contrary, the Research Scientists at Kawanda Agricultural Centre, Andrew Kiggundu said the warning against health and environmental effects of GM is misinformation.
“Products of Genetic Engineering are the second most regulated products after drugs. We do the whole range of tests. Even G.E food does not cause allergy to most people. We are expected to show that there are no effects,” he said. There is restricted (in an enclosure) garden of G.E bananas at Kawanda.
The convention of biological diversity (CBD) recommends that CBD parties (like Uganda) should not approve for field testing products produced through this GURTS (genetic use restricted technologies) until appropriate scientific data justifying the testing and information on impact, adverse effects, safe and beneficial use – is validated.
Ends.
No comments:
Post a Comment