Abstract
Considering an expanding research and development pipeline of and growing practical experiences with genetically modified (GM) crops, governments in Sub-Sahara Africa have in recent years authorized various GM crop events for general, unconfined environmental release, and in a few cases, subsequent commercial variety registration and cultivation. These decisions are consistent with more business-oriented agricultural development policies aimed at turning agriculture into a leading driver of economic growth and wealth creation. Such policy reforms are also motivated by continent-wide initiatives described in this review paper, which emphasize seed sector reform, agricultural productivity growth, intra-regional trade, and agri-business development. While such policy developments spur a more proactive approach to introducing agricultural biotechnology, it becomes apparent that authorizing GM crops for general environmental release and commercial seed registration requires the harmonization of government policies in various sectors relevant to seed systems, most notably those affecting plant breeding research, testing, and variety release. Critical areas for such policy reforms and harmonization were analyzed in this paper, with associated recommendations.
Highlights
In December 2019, Nigeria’s National Committee on Naming, Registration, and Release of Crop Varieties approved the registration of a genetically modified (GM) cowpea variety SAMPEA 20-T
The overall picture of GM crop adoption in sub-Sahara Africa is steadily evolving as a growing number of governments authorize their commercial adoption and have additional GM events in the R&D pipeline
Insect-resistant, GM cotton hybrids, marketed by Indian seed firms JK Seeds and Mahyco, are approved for cultivation in Ethiopia, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Sudan; Insect-resistant cowpea, as above-mentioned, was approved for cultivation in Nigeria in 2019, while official seed sales started in June 2021; Additional GM food crops are advancing through the regulatory pipeline; for example, Kenya’s National Biosafety Authority approved virus-resistant cassava in June 2021 to proceed with national performance trials [15]
Summary
In December 2019, Nigeria’s National Committee on Naming, Registration, and Release of Crop Varieties approved the registration of a genetically modified (GM) cowpea variety SAMPEA 20-T Clearing-House, URL: https://bch.cbd.int/database/record.shtml?documentid=114444, accessed 29 July 2021), which expresses resistance to the cowpea podborer, Maruca vitrata [1] This landmark decision formed the culmination of two decades of biotechnology research and field testing through an international consortium led by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation. While the varie represented a major regulatory decision, there is still a range of challenges, as described registration represented a major regulatory decision, there is still a range of challenges, below, facing GM cowpea’s (and other GM crops) actual adoption over time Many of these described below, facing GM cowpea’s (and other GM crops) actual adoption over tim are related to the fact that the introduction of GM varieties requires the implementation of Manyand of these are related to thebyfact that the introduction of seed. Regulatory have important reach-throug cations on local sectors, are alreadySuch subject to rapidreforms policy reforms, as described implications in this review paper. on local seed sectors, which are already subject to rapid policy reforms, described in this review paper
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