Case studies on the use of biotechnologies and on biosafety provisions in four African countries |
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Authors: | Robert Black Fabio Fava Niccolo Mattei Vincent Robert Susan Seal Valerie Verdier |
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Institution: | aNatural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich at Medway, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK;bIstituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare, via A. Cocchi, 4, 50131 Florence, Italy;cDICAM, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Terracini, 28. 40131 Bologna, Italy;dMIVEGEC (IRD 224, CNRS 5290, Université Montpellier 2), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France;eInstitut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 5096 IRD-CNRS-U.Perpignan, Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, 911 Avenue Agropolis BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France |
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Abstract: | This review is based on a study commissioned by the European Commission on the evaluation of scientific, technical and institutional challenges, priorities and bottlenecks for biotechnologies and regional harmonisation of biosafety in Africa. Biotechnology was considered within four domains: agricultural biotechnologies (‘Green’), industrial biotechnologies and biotechnologies for environmental remediation (‘White’), biotechnologies in aquaculture (‘Blue’) and biotechnologies for healthcare (‘Red’). An important consideration was the decline in partnerships between the EU and developing countries because of the original public antipathy to some green biotechnologies, particularly genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and food from GM crops in Europe. The study focus reported here was West Africa (Ghana, Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso).The overall conclusion was that whereas high-quality research was proceeding in the countries visited, funding is not sustained and there is little evidence of practical application of biotechnology and benefit to farmers and the wider community. Research and development that was being carried out on genetically modified crop varieties was concentrating on improving food security and therefore unlikely to have significant impact on EU markets and consumers. However, there is much non-controversial green biotechnology such as molecular diagnostics for plant and animal disease and marker-assisted selection for breeding that has great potential application. Regarding white biotechnology, it is currently occupying only a very small industrial niche in West Africa, basically in the sole sector of the production of liquid biofuels (i.e., bio-ethanol) from indigenous and locally planted biomass (very often non-food crops). The presence of diffused small-scale fish production is the basis to develop and apply new (Blue) aquaculture technologies and, where the research conditions and the production sector can permit, to increase this type of production and the economy of this depressed areas. However, the problems bound to environmental protection must not be forgotten; priority should be given to monitor the risks of introduction of foreign species. Red biotechnologies potentially bring a vast domain of powerful tools and processes to achieve better human health, most notably improved diagnostics by molecular techniques, better targeting of pathogens and a better knowledge of their sensitivities to drugs to permit better treatment.Biosafety regulatory frameworks had been initiated in several countries, starting with primary biosafety law. However, disparate attitudes to the purpose of biosafety regulation (e.g., fostering informed decision-making versus ‘giving the green-light for a flood of GMOs’) currently prevent a needed consensus for sub-regional harmonisation. To date, most R&D funding has come from North America with some commercial interests from Asia, but African biotechnology workers expressed strong desire for (re-)engagement with interested parties from the European Union. Although in some of the visited countries there are very well qualified personnel in molecular biology and biosafety/regulation, the main message received is that human resources and capacity building in-house are still needed. This could be achieved through home-based courses and capacity-building including funds for post-degree research to motivate and retain trained staff. |
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Keywords: | Abbreviations: AATF Africa Agriculture Technology Foundation ABNE African Biosafety Network of Expertise (NEPAD) AIDCO Europe Aid Co-operation Office ASARECA Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern & Southern Africa BECANet Biotechnology for Eastern and Central Africa Bt Bacillus thuringiensis CILSS Comité permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sé cheresse dans le Sahel CORAF/WECARD West and Central African Consortium for Agricultural Research and Development CRODT Centre de Recherches Océ anographiques Dakar-Thiaroye DFID Department for International Development (UK) ECART-EEIG European Consortium for Agricultural Research in the Tropics-European Economic Interest Grouping (now AGRINATURA) ECOWAS/CEDEAO Economic Community of West African States ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay EDCTP European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership FARA Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa GIFT genetic improvement of farmed tilapia GMO genetically modified organism IPR intellectual property rights IRD Institut de Recherche pour le Dé veloppement (France) NABNet North African Biotechnology Network NEPAD New Partnership for African Development NGO non-governmental organisation R& D research and development RTD research and technical development SABNet Southern African Biotechnology Network SCARDA Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa TRIPS (Agreement on) Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (WTO) UEMOA West African Economic and Monetary Union USAID United States Agency for International Development |
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