The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has revealed that Kenya lost about 20.4 billion Kenyan shillings (approximately $158 million) in five years due to delays in adopting biotechnology.
Dr. Daniel Willy, Senior Manager, Policy, Agribusiness and Commercialisation at AATF, disclosed this on the sidelines of the ongoing World Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Kenya.
He noted that biotechnology remains one of the key scientific tools for improving crop varieties and enhancing food production.
“You can use biotechnology, for example, to help crops protect themselves from pests. 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 have also applied biotechnology to fortify crops by adding essential nutrients, citing maize as an example.
He explained that Vitamin A had been introduced into maize to address nutritional deficiencies.
“We have also seen biotechnology used to improve the shelf life of crops like tomatoes, among others. Therefore, biotechnology is one of several tools in agriculture that can help farmers improve yields, which directly contributes to food security,” he said.
According to him, such innovations are expanding Africa’s potential for food production while helping farmers mitigate the impacts of drought, pests, and diseases.
Willy stated that AATF, in collaboration with African scientists since the 1970s, has developed numerous hybrid crop varieties, including maize, beans, and sorghum.
He highlighted Nigeria’s success in commercialising the Pod Borer-Resistant Cowpea, which withstands the maruca pest, as a major biotechnology milestone.
“Bt maize is also present on the continent; it has been commercialised in Nigeria and South Africa, while countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mozambique are preparing to follow suit,” he said.
However, he noted that the progress of biotechnology adoption in Africa has been slowed by misinformation and conspiracy theories regarding its health effects.
“Such misconceptions have hindered the commercialisation of biotechnology crops,” he said. “That need not be the case because, by delaying, we are losing a lot as a continent.”
