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A Privacy Treatise
A Privacy Treatise The message is out - consumers have clear and growing expectations when it comes to the privacy they expect and ultimately demand for their personal contact information. Telecommunications organizations that ignore this need for...
Incest, Rape and Religions
“The first cities of the Americas were spaces marked out for the ample expansion of celebration, joy, worship, play, praise! In the space of celebration built by the people themselves and for themselves, they came together in joy, in beauty, and...
Mosquitoes like my blood
Here in Mauritius, mosquitoes are in paradise. The male mosquitoes have all the fruits they’ll ever dream of – god knows whether they actually dream – all year long while the female mosquitoes can choose from a numerous number of tourists to feed...
Remote Viewing ... What is it anyway?
Ever since I began posting information about remote viewing on my site, more and more people have been asking about what it is and how it works. At first, I thought this would be a simple topic to write; however, I began to realize that there is a...
What a Stale Argument!
Does politics has a place in genetically modified (GM) food
debate? "No", is the obvious answer. Politics and science are
such sworn adversaries that they cannot eat from the same plate.
Politics mainly thrive on propaganda, vilification,...
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Kenya Inches Close to Food Sustainability
Kenya has begun a countdown to commercializing genetically
modified maize(corn). Scientists at the Kenya Agricultural
Research Institute (KARI), International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Insect Resistant Maize for
Africa (IRMA) have already developed a new maize seed, resistant
to the stem borer. Stem borer destroys 400,000 tonnes of Maize
in Kenya, alone. In Sub-Saharan Africa, chronic cases of stem
borer infestation account for 10-70 per cent of yield losses.
This has had devastating effects on Africa's efforts to feed its
ever soaring population. Maize is the primary staple food and an
occasional cash crop in many parts of Africa.
The first case of stem borer was discovered in Malawi in 1932.
Since then, a raft of methods, pointedly, biological control,
habitat management and use of natural pesticides, have been used
to deal with the stem borer menace. Unfortunately, very little
has been achieved. Bounty yields, a common occurrence in
countries such as US, Canada, Argentina, India and China, which
have embraced biotechnology, have not been forthcoming. For
instance, Niger, one of the poorest countries in Africa is
currently facing acute food shortage due to crop failure and
drought. About 3.6 million people are on the verge of death due
to hunger. Horrifying is news that 800,000 children are
chronically malnourished.
Niger is a semi-desert country where lack of rain can result to
massive crop failures. This situation and others in Africa can
be avoided. Dishing emergency food aid, as is happening at the
moment, will help in the short
run. But long-term measures need
to be explored.
The development of seeds with tolerance to drought and low soil
fertility through modern biotechnology could benefit Niger and
other countries in similar situations.
Maize varieties with improved nutritional content will be a boon
to malnourished children who strand the African continent.
It is worth noting that the development of maize seed resistant
to pests such as stem borer not only heralds a new chapter in
Kenya but Africa as a whole. Other African countries should now
borrow a leaf from these two countries. They should swim by the
waves rest they continue to be perpetual beneficiaries of relief
food.
Kenyan scientists have demonstrated determination to seek
homegrown solutions to Africa's food problems. It would be
interesting to hear the views of critics of modern biotechnology
about this latest development.In the past, they have accused
rich countries of foisting novel technologies such as
biotechnology on "hapless" Africa, in total disregard of their
environmental impact or health complications associated with
consumption of genetically modified food.
The jury is now out. To quote Dr Stephen Mugo, a plant breeder
with CIMMYT, "The converted seeds have been studied, multiplied
and tested in laboratories and greenhouse conditions."
About the author:
James Wachai is a communication specialist who uses his
expertise to increase public understanding of science and
technology, specifically biotechnology. Read more from James at
http://www.gmoafrica.org.
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