South Africa
February 8, 2010
Source: AfricaBio
Africa missed out on Dr Norman Borlaug’s Green Revolution that lifted more than a billion people out of poverty, hunger and famine in Asia. Today, food consumption per capita has increased everywhere except in Africa, excluding South Africa.
According to the FAO (United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation) more than 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa face starvation. Grain yields average 1.1t/ha compared to 4.8t/ha in South Africa.
The gene revolution, genetically modified crops, can make a difference to help end starvation and poverty on the continent, says Professor C.S. Prakash, from Tuskegee University in USA.
Professor Prakash, eminent research scientist and a world renowned authority on agricultural biotechnology, was speaking at the Eastern and Southern African Biotechnology stakeholders meeting in Pretoria on the needs of Africa’s agriculture. The meeting was convened by AfricaBio.
Prakash, who was on a short visit to South Africa, pointed out that the 'Green Revolution' increased food production in India from 50 to 230 million tons during the past five decades. Wheat production alone increased from six to 100 million tons per year. Today’s genetically modified crops can produce the same results in sub-Saharan Africa, he emphasised.
The technology can undoubtedly improve Africa’s food and nutritional security, increase crop productivity, promote truly sustainable agriculture and eliminate poverty and hunger by producing more food on less land while using less water and fewer chemicals.
One of the most important developments, he explained, was the GM 'drought- tolerant' maize trials carried out in Kenya, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – less drop, more crop.
Monsanto’s DT trials in South Africa are in an advanced stage with promising results that could also benefit Africa as a whole.
He vehemently rejected fears raised by activists concerning the safety and health risks to humans and animals or contamination of the environment by GM crops as “scientifically unsubstantiated hogwash”.
“Over two billion acres of GM crops have been grown worldwide since 1996. More than 50 000 food products contain GM ingredients consumed by humans. Not a single case of scientifically substantiated adverse effects to humans, animals or the environment has ever been reported.
“GM food is safer than conventional food and has been endorsed by 5000 scientists, 24 Nobel Laureates, The EU Scientific Commission and the Royal Society of London,” he added.
Topics
Species
