Biotechnology Technical Assistance for Africa

To boost agricultural productivity and yield to meet the increasing demand for food in Africa, more efficient approaches to produce food are required. The full potential of new breeding tools such as genome editing needs to be explored and utilized in addition to conventional technologies in countries and regions of Africa where knowledge on the benefits of genome editing and genetic engineering (GE) technologies is still lacking. The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service intends to support workshops and trainings in collaboration with African universities or research institutions, to improve understanding of these approaches by agricultural officials and scientists on the African continent. The purpose of this USDA/FAS pilot Biotechnology and Biosafety Forum is to enhance awareness and knowledge in Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, and Zambia among agricultural officials and other government officials, host-country farmers, farmer association officials, and scientists, on what are biotechnological tools and how their adoption can enhance food security.