Biotechnology in Africa


Book Description

In this book, Florence Wambugu and Daniel Kamanga of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International bring together expert African authorities to critique various biotechnology initiatives and project future developments in the field in Africa. For the first time, African voices from multidisciplinary fields as diverse as economics, agriculture, biotechnology, law, politics and academia, demand to be allowed to set the continent’s biotech development agenda. This book argues that there is a great future for biotechnology in Africa which sidesteps western interests that do not match those of the local populace. In these diverse chapters, Africa’s political and scientific leaders demand a greater say in how research and development funds are allocated and spent. They argue that Africa’s political leaders must see both clear benefits and have elbow-room to drive the change required. This is the way that African governments can employ workable policies, suitable biosafety legislation and regulation and respond effectively to public-private partnerships. Wambugu and Kamanga show that biotechnology has the potential to improve food security and standard of living as well as mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change on the African continent.




Socio-economic Impacts of Non-transgenic Biotechnologies in Developing Countries


Book Description

Biotechnologies can play an important role in the food crisis. This document, focusing on non-transgenic biotechnologies, provides information for policy-makers, particularly in developing countries, to set priorities and adopt effective and efficient strategies to address food insecurity and poverty.




Prior Informed Consent and Hazardous Trade


Book Description

This ground-breaking study is the first book to take a comprehensive approach to the subject of transboundary shipments of hazardous substances and the instruments employed for regulating such shipments. It fully explains which types of trade regulating instruments are employed by which agreements, and then goes on to evaluate the pros and cons of these instruments with respect to their compatibility with international legal norms, especially WTO law. Taken in conjunction with other trade-regulating measures, this analysis assesses the PIC concept/ procedure from three perspectives: its effect on state sovereignty, its potential for enhancing environmental and health protection in importing states, and its relationship with the free-trade regime, represented primarily by the GATT and the SPS and TBT Agreements of the WTO. The analysis also includes coverage of the pertinent export laws of the EU and the United-States, and of the export and import laws of India pertaining to potentially hazardous substances and products.




Genetically Engineered Crops


Book Description

Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced commercially in the 1990s. After two decades of production, some groups and individuals remain critical of the technology based on their concerns about possible adverse effects on human health, the environment, and ethical considerations. At the same time, others are concerned that the technology is not reaching its potential to improve human health and the environment because of stringent regulations and reduced public funding to develop products offering more benefits to society. While the debate about these and other questions related to the genetic engineering techniques of the first 20 years goes on, emerging genetic-engineering technologies are adding new complexities to the conversation. Genetically Engineered Crops builds on previous related Academies reports published between 1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic-engineering technologies hold for the future. This report indicates where there are uncertainties about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, and makes recommendations to fill gaps in safety assessments, increase regulatory clarity, and improve innovations in and access to GE technology.







Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals


Book Description

After the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to "end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all," researchers and policy makers highlighted the importance of targeted investment in science, technology, and innovation (STI) to make tangible progress. Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals showcases the roles that STI solutions can play in meeting on-the-ground socio-economic and environmental challenges among domestic and international organizations concerned with the SDGs in three overlapping areas: agriculture, health, and environment/energy. Authors and researchers from 31 countries tackle both big-picture questions, such as scaling up the adoption and diffusion of new sustainable technologies, and specific, localized case studies, focusing on developing and middle-income countries and specific STI solutions and policies. Issues addressed include renewable energy, automated vehicles, vaccines, digital health, agricultural biotechnology, and precision agriculture. In bringing together diverse voices from both policy and academic spheres, this volume provides practical and relevant insights and advice to support policy makers and managers seeking to enhance the roles of STI in sustainable development.







Marker-assisted Selection


Book Description

A comprehensive description and assessment of the use of marker-assisted selection for increasing the rate of genetic gain in crops, livestock, forestry and fish, including the related policy, FAO's tradition of dealing with issues of importance to agricultural and economic development in a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral manner.




Rural Development


Book Description

Entries in English and various other languages.