The State of the Enabling Environment for Agricultural Biotechnology Applications in Crop and Livestock Sectors

Abstract

Sub-Saharan African countries were categorized with regard to the state of the enabling environment for agricultural biotechnology in the crop and livestock sectors. This included consideration of public awareness, participation and acceptance; existence of a national biosafety framework; public policy and political goodwill; and the financial and investment environment. South Africa was the only country whose enabling environment was ranked as being ‘very strong’ for both crops and livestock, while Kenya and Nigeria were in the ‘strong’ enabling environment category for both crops and livestock. Sudan and Ethiopia were in the ‘strong’ category for crops but ‘medium’ category for livestock. Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe were in ‘medium’ category for both crops and livestock. Malawi was ‘medium’ for crops but ‘weak’ for livestock. The remaining countries fell in ‘weak’ and/or ‘very weak’ for both crops and livestock. Key elements of the enabling environment were driven by actions in the crop sector, especially the pull factor with regard to creating conditions for the use of genetically modified crops. All but two countries, Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan, have ratified or complied with accession requirements for biosafety regulatory systems specified under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.