Biotechnology in Africa

Abstract

The controversy over the value of genetically modified (GM) crops in the Third World has raged for years, but behind the scenes, researchers at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in Nairobi, Kenya, are using biotechnology to improve the livelihoods of African small-scale farmers, and to help prevent environmental degradation. These researchers are now poised to reap the full benefits of the genomic revolution. Cattle in Africa are vulnerable to protozoal infections carried via insect vectors. Protozoal parasites, including Trypanosoma species and Theileria parva are responsible for economic losses of $4 billion per year. Farmers whose small herds are unable to support their families are often forced into the bushmeat trade, causing environmental damage and loss of biodiversity. The first type of African domesticated cattle were probably indigenous humpless animals like the N'Dama species (Bos taurus). For over 6000 years, these cattle have been widespread in West Africa, coexisting with both man and the trypanosome vector, the tsetse fly. They have therefore developed a high level of tolerance to trypanosomal infection. However, they are relatively small, slow-growing animals, unlike the humped Kenya Boran cattle (Bos indicus) found in East Africa, which are susceptible to trypanosomiasis. Researchers at ILRI have established a resource population of N'Dama cattle and developed a program of crossbreeding to identify chromosomal regions (quantitative trait loci or QTL) associated with trypanotolerance. Improving the efficiency of high-yielding East African cattle by developing trypanotolerant strains will increase the assets of farming communities, says Olivier Hanotte of Trypanotolerant N'Dama cattle.