alexander e. ochem icgeb trieste, italy

Alexander E. OchemICGEB Trieste, Italy

Dissemination of Plant Biotechnology - an African

Perspective

WIPO-UPOV SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS INPLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

Geneva, Switzerland, October 24, 2003




Aims of Modern Plant Biotechnology:

develop plant varieties with specific properties for survival in their local regions

environmentally sustainable, higher yielding and less expensive varieties

varieties endowed with more nutritious constituents than the wild type species

varieties that help to limit post-harvest crop losses

novel plant varieties to boost biodiversity




Dissemination of technology

availability of the tools and benefits to all especially the less privileged

availability of the tools and benefits to low-scale poor farmers




The need for plant biotechnology in Africa: why?

13% of world’s population live in 12%of global habitable surface area

rate of population growth out-balances that of food production

40% of Africa’s population live on less than USD1 per day

many countries in Africa depend on food-aid to fight starvation

healthcare services are most inadequate in Africa and many diseasesare still endemic in the Continent

Africa leads the world on the major health problem of our timeAmoako 2003




The need for plant biotechnology in Africa: why?

and rural to urban youth migration has relegated farm work

to the women

farm work in Africa is still predominantly manual

courtesy of WARDA

to the uneducated old men,

courtesy of Harsch, Africa Recovery courtesy of Monsanto, Africa

and to the children




The poor performance of agricultural biotechnology in Africa:

minimal R&D investment by governments of African countries

over-dependence on foreign aid and donor institution assistance

little interest in indigenous food crops from multinationals

improvement in these food crops is almost inexistent

global debate on the security of GM foods

protection of international trading interests

only South Africa was active as at 2001

inappropriate national legislation or no legislation




African success stories in plant biotechnology

Properties

BollgardR cotton

higher yields

pest resistance

Courtesy of Monsanto Africa

and YieldGardR maize in South africa




NERICA (New Rice for AfriCA) at WARDA in West Africapossesses high yielding properties of Indian rice

SAHEL 108short life cycletherefore, double cropping

CISADANE

resistance to gall midge

African success stories in plant biotechnology (contd)

multiple stress resistance of African species

Courtesy of WARDA, W. Africa




Immediate visible benefits of GM crops

less need for insecticide sprays

decreased requirement for chemical fertilizers

increased environmental conservation

less hours spent in farmlands

increase in yields and plant productivity

increased personal income earnings

poverty alleviation

overall social well being




Status of plant biotechnology in Africaadapted from Brink, J.A. et al 1998

North AfricaMorocco

Tunisia

micropropagation of forest trees, date palmsdevelopment of disease-free and stress tollerant plantsmolecular biology of date palms and cerealsfield tests for transgenic tomatoes

stress tollerance and disease resistance

tissue culture of date palms, prunus rootstocks and citrus

DNA markers for disease resistance

genetic engineering of potatoes




Status of plant biotechnology in Africa (contd)adapted from Brink, J.A. et al 1998

West AfricaCameroon

Nigeria

Senegal

tissue culture of theobroma (cocoa tree), hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree), coffea arabica (coffee tree), dioscorea sativa (yam) and xanthosoma mafutta (cocoyam)in vitro culture for the propagation of banana, oil-palm, pineapple, cotton and tea

micropropagation of cassava, yam, banana and ginger and medicinal plants

genetic engineering of cowpea for virus resistancemarker assisted selection of maize and cassava: DNA fingerprinting

of pests and microbial pathogens

embryo rescue for yamregeneration of cowpea, yam, cassava and banana

in vitro propagation of faidherbia albida, eucalyptus canaldulensissesbania rostrate and acacia senegal

production of rhizobial-based bioferttilizers

MICERN centre for the West African sub-region




Status of plant biotechnology in Africa (contd)adapted from Brink, J.A et al 1998

East and central AfricaBurundi

Democratic Republic of Congo

production of rhizobial-based bioferttilizers

Kenya tissue culture of medicinal plants

production of disease free plants

in vitro selection for salt resistance in finger millet

in vitro long-term storage of potato and sweet potatoMICERN providing biofertilizers to East African countries

transformation of potato with Feathery Mottle Virus coat protein genemicropropagation of banana, potatoes, strawberries, sweet potato, citrus, sugar cane

micropropagation of ornamentals and forest trees

in vitro propagation of potato, soybean, maize, rice and multipurpose trees

in vitro production of ornamental plants - orchids; tissue culture of medicinal plantsmicropropagation of potato, banana, cassava and yam





East and Central Africa (contd)

Ugandamicropropagation of banana, coffee, cassava, granadella, pineapple,

potato and sweet potatoin vitro screening for disease resistance in banana

production of disease free plantlets of potato, sweet potato and banana

Southern AfricaMadagascar

tissue culture of disease-free rice and maize plantlets and medicinal plantsproduction of bioferttilizers for groundnut and bambara groundnut

Zimbabwe genetic engineering of maize, sorghum and tobaccomicropropagation of coffee, cassava, tobacco, ornamental plants, potato and sweet potato





Republic of South AfricaGenetic engineering

Molecular marker applications

Tissue culture

Micropropagation of potato, ornamental bulbs and rose rootstocksEmbryo rescue of table grapes, sunflower and dry beans

Long-term storage of potatoes, sweet potatoes, ornamental bulbs and cassava

Forest trees, medicinal plants and indigenous ornamental plants

Production of disease-free plants: potato, sweet potato, cassava, dry beans,banana and ornamental plants

Markers for disease resistance in wheat and forestry cropsCultivar identification: potatoes, sweet potatoes, ornamentals, cereals and cassava

Fruits: apricot, strawberry, peach, apple, table grapes and banana

Cereals: maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, sunflowers and sugarcaneVegetables and ornamentals: potato, tomato, cucurbits, ornamental bulbs

cassava and sweet potato




The road ahead

…..to commercial production

Africa lags dramatically behind other regions in implementation of biotechnologyThis situation risks to exacerbate social inequities and plunge the Continent deeper into

misery and total dependence on the developed countries for subsistence

Governments of African countries must refocus attention on agricoltureAmoako 2003

Public funding of R&D in agricoltural biotechnology is mandatory to boost the overall sustainable productivity of more nutritious food in the Continent

Plant biotechnology should pass from laboratory tests and feild trials

Courtesy of WARDA




Positive signalsCreation of ACCI at the University of Natal, South Africa for training scientists

in biotechnology of African crops adaptable to the African environment

Increased government budget for biotechnology research and development in Nigeria

Similar initiatives in other countries of Africa would certainly turn around the destinies of their citizens

Courtesy of WARDA

………and disseminate the smile in the faces of these children




You can not rationally argue with the hungry on the potential health risks that may derive from being overfed

If African countries fail to feed the present generation of their citizens due to fears of the potential dangers deriving from GM foods,

then there would probably not be any future generations of Africans to protect from such potential dangers

Responsible biotechnology is not the enemy; starvation is. Without adequate food suplies at affordable prices,

we cannot expect world health, or peaceJimmy Carter

Conclusions

alexander e. ochem icgeb trieste, italy

Documents

status of plant biotechnology

modern plant biotechnology

future generations of

potential dangersconclusions