The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) has intensified its efforts to strengthen biosafety governance and biotechnology capacity across the continent, according to its Africa Biosafety Watch report for July to September 2025.
In Mozambique, AUDA-NEPAD partnered with the Inter-institutional Group on Biosafety (GIIBS) to host a two-day induction seminar for new members. The training, held from August 18 to 19 in Maputo, brought together 31 participants from government institutions, research centers, and regulatory bodies. Discussions focused on policy frameworks for biotechnology, emerging technologies, stewardship, and public perceptions, with emphasis on aligning biosafety practices with socioeconomic realities. Mozambique, which has successfully conducted field trials of genetically modified (GM) maize, plans to expand its use of biotechnology to boost agricultural productivity.
Meanwhile, AUDA-NEPAD’s African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE) collaborated with Michigan State University to deliver the International Agricultural Biotechnology, Biosafety, Technology Transfer, and Commercialization Short Course in the United States from August 3 to 16. Fifteen delegates from nine countries—including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda—participated in the program, which provided exposure to the U.S. biotechnology regulatory system, commercialization models, and industry practices.
The course included study visits to Iowa, Missouri, and Washington, D.C., where participants engaged with key stakeholders such as Corteva Agriscience, Bayer Corporation, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Notably, African legal practitioners were also included to deepen understanding of biotechnology regulation within judicial frameworks.
The training fostered cross-country collaboration and knowledge exchange, particularly on science-based, risk-proportionate regulatory approaches. AUDA-NEPAD said the insights gained would guide African countries in shaping regulatory reforms, ensuring innovators remain globally competitive in emerging bio-innovation markets.
These initiatives, AUDA-NEPAD emphasized, are in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 Aspiration 1, which envisions “a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development,” and Goal 5, which targets “modern agriculture for increased productivity and production.”
