Kenya has lost about 20.4 billion Kenyan shillings (approximately 158 million dollars) over the past five years due to delays in adopting agricultural biotechnology, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has said.
Dr. Daniel Willy, Senior Manager, Policy, Agribusiness and Commercialisation at AATF, disclosed this during the ongoing World Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Kenya.
Willy said biotechnology remains one of the most effective scientific tools for improving crop varieties and boosting food production.
“You can use biotechnology, for example, to help crops protect themselves from pests,” he explained.
He cited the example of Tella maize (Bt maize), a pest-resistant crop variety that helps farmers curb losses caused by stem borers and fall armyworms.
“The application is used in Tella maize (Bt maize), which enables the crop to resist pests such as stem borers and fall armyworm.
By so doing, farmers are able to reduce yield losses associated with pest attacks,” he said.
Willy added that AATF scientists had also applied biotechnology to fortify crops by adding nutrients, particularly to tackle malnutrition.
“We have also seen biotechnology used to improve the shelf life of crops like tomatoes, among others,” he said.
“Therefore, biotechnology is one tool among many in agriculture that can help farmers improve yields, which directly contributes to food security.”
According to him, such innovations are expanding Africa’s potential for food production and helping farmers mitigate the effects of drought, pests, and diseases.
He said AATF, through collaboration with African scientists since the 1970s, had developed several hybrid crop varieties including maize, beans, and sorghum.
Willy also pointed to Nigeria’s success in commercialising the Pod Borer Cowpea, a variety that resists the maruca pest, as a major biotechnology milestone on the continent.
“Bt maize is also on the continent; it has been commercialised in Nigeria and South Africa, and countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Mozambique are now preparing to follow suit,” he said.
However, he noted that Africa’s progress in adopting biotechnology had been slowed by misinformation and conspiracy theories regarding its health effects.
“That need not be the case because, by delaying, we are losing a lot as a continent,” he cautioned.
Willy urged African governments to strengthen public education and policy frameworks around biotechnology, stressing that timely adoption of scientific innovations could significantly enhance food security and economic growth across the continent.
