Biotech adoption in Malawi low due to comms, research
A lack of proper communication and research is to blame for the low adoption rate of biotechnology in Malawi, according to experts, writes Judgement Katika.
Lilongwe, Malawi- A lack of proper communication and research is to blame for the low adoption rate of biotechnology in Malawi, according to experts, writes Judgement Katika.
Dr Abel Sefasi, a senior lecturer at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the public has not been provided with adequate and accurate information about biotechnology.
"The public, including policymakers, needs to be made aware of the power of biotechnology," Sefasi said.
The concern was raised on Thursday during a workshop for journalists on science reporting organized by the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) through the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) in Lilongwe.
Lilian Chimphepo, the National Biosafety Registrar under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change, also said the low adoption rate is due to a lack of research.
"We depend on scientists and researchers to bring technology to us so that we can regulate it to see if it is safe for the environment and if it is good for consumption, to see the safety of people and livestock," Chimphepo said.
She said that currently, only one genetically modified crop, BT cotton, has been approved for commercialization by the general public, and farmers are now growing the crop.
Biotechnology is the use of biology to solve problems and make useful products. It can be used in a variety of fields, including agriculture, medicine, and environmental protection.
These products are used throughout the world already so should quickly be adopted in African countries. Politics by ngos sometimes prevents it to the harm of African nations agriculture production.