The African Union Commission and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation have agreed a memorandum of understanding to develop and deliver agricultural technology to African farmers. The continent has one of the lowest levels of farm productivity in the world as a result of the absence of agricultural technologies to deal with pests and diseases that face the region’s smallholder farmers, the partners say. The Foundation works in eight sub-Sahara African countries. Priority areas for the ...

The Nigerian consumer protection council has stated that food derived from genetically modified plants is safe for consumption, reports Nigerian newswire Daily Trust. The director general of the council, Ify Umeyi, has reportedly said that the foods had not been found to have caused any allergic condition. She has stated that most policy makers in Africa are sceptical of GM foods because they are confronted with contradictory reports about their safety. The Minister of Agricultural and Rural ...

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a three-year $189 million contract to US consultancy Abt Associates (Cambridge, Massachusetts), to expand the USAID’s programme to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Africa. The indoor residual spraying programme involves the application of “safe” insecticides to the walls and ceilings of homes and other structures, the USAID notes. The funding will cover operations in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, ...

The Ghanaian Parliament has approved a biosafety bill. The regulations were unanimously approved according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) reports. The President’s assent is required before the legislation can come into force. It was first submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Science to the government in 2004, but government changes impeded the passage of the legislation, the ISAAA notes. Furthermore, the country’s national biosafety ...

Southern African pesticide authorities and workers have been urged to adopt measures to cut the risks to human health and the environment from pesticide use. The academic network, Work and Health in Southern Africa (WAHSA), has called for: an increased laboratory capacity to analyse pesticides and pesticide residues; the setting up of surveillance systems to monitor pesticide poisoning, inform prevention and control programmes and engage stakeholders in policymaking action; and improvements to ...

The Kenyan Parliament has approved a biosafety bill regulating genetically modified organisms. The legislation complies with the requirements of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, protecting nationals against the unintended use of GMOs, especially cross-border movements, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) says. The bill is to regulate the development, handling, transfer, use, release, and disposal of materials, products, processes, and organisms ...

The African Union and national governments have called for the adoption of genetically modified crops across the continent. Delegates at the inaugural African Biotechnology Congress, held in Kenya last month, noted food security for the continent as the major driving force behind the appeal. They included officials from the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, the African trading bloc and international industry and development groups. The delegates declared their support for “the urgent need for ...

The Kenyan pesticide authorities aim to improve controls on pesticides in fruit and vegetables for export following a call for action from the European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO). Kenyan exporters are to submit samples for pesticide residue analysis or results of such analyses from “approved” laboratories. The country’s Agricultural Produce (Export) Act has been reviewed and is awaiting Ministerial consent. The Kenyan Plant Health Inspection Service (KEPHIS) says the Act is ...