Genetic Modification (GM)
FARM-Africa does not use GM technology in its work. FARM-Africa does however believe that public sector research should be strengthened to meet the real and articulated needs of smallholder farmers and livestock keepers.
As a science-based organisation, FARM-Africa believes that there is a responsibility not to rule out anything that might improve the lives of poor people. There is no doubt that plant breeding can play a significant role in increasing agricultural production and reducing risk to pests and diseases. For example the new varieties of cassava that are resistant to the cassava mosaic virus are having a massive impact in stabilising the production of this vital subsistence crop.
There is much hope that new breeding techniques, including GM, could improve the drought tolerance, disease and pest resistance of many crops cultivated by poor farmers. However, research to improve the crops cultivated by poor people and address their real problems is only likely to be carried out by public sector research bodies such as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and National Agricultural Research Services (NARS). This research will only be effective when research scientists are linked to smallholder farmers and the research agenda driven by farmers and their needs.
FARM-Africa supports national bio-safety protocols ensuring that all GM technologies are vigorously tested. So far, amongst the countries where we work only Kenya has such protocols in place.
