GMOs or local crops for climate change adaptation in Africa? : key findings and policy recommendations from the AfricaAdapt network
Date
2012-08
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AfricaAdapt Secretariat, ENDA Tiers-Monde, Dakar, SN
Abstract
Climate change is reframing Africa’s food security debate.
Farmers have long adapted to recurrent droughts through
traditional practices such as intercropping. But now they
face increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, degraded
soils, declining yields … and ever more mouths to feed. Can
transgenic biotechnology partially mitigate climate change
and help Africa’s farmers adapt to its impacts?
The AfricaAdapt network asked its members to discuss
whether African countries should embrace genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) as a means to cope with
climate change. This polarizing issue drew responses from
agricultural researchers, academia, extension organizations
and grassroots community groups. The diverse perspectives
– economic, ecological, political and social – made for
a lively debate. This brief summarizes their insights and
recommendations.
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Policy Brief
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Keywords
AFRICA-ADAPT NETWORK, TRANSGENIC CROPS, BIOTECHNOLOGY, GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS, CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION