Climate action relies heavily on technological advancements and innovative solutions
In Southern Africa, unpredictable weather patterns, intense droughts, rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and El Niño are devastating crop production, exacerbating a food crisis largely driven by climate change. Scientists warn that maize yields could fall by up to 30% by 2030 if climate-smart interventions are not adopted. Pests and diseases, which thrive in warmer and wetter conditions, are sweeping across the region, hitting harder and lingering longer.
However, African countries are not standing idly by. They are gradually shifting from strict GMO regulatory regimes towards more flexible, science-based, product-focused regulations that support gene editing and biotech innovation tailored to local ecological and socio-economic contexts. This approach aims to empower farmers with climate-smart, sustainable agricultural solutions critical to addressing hunger and food insecurity across the continent.
Nigeria, for instance, is a leader in safe, climate-smart agricultural biotech in Africa. It has made significant progress with agricultural biotechnology adoption, including genetically modified (GM) crops such as pest-resistant and drought-tolerant maize varieties (e.g., Tela maize). Kenya has also embraced GM crops with supportive guidelines based on product assessments, facilitating gene-editing applications. Malawi recently approved a genome-editing regulatory framework, positioning itself among countries adopting more flexible product-based policies.
Countries like South Africa, Sudan, Eswatini, Ethiopia, and Ghana are also actively exploring or establishing biosafety frameworks to enable GM and gene-editing technologies to increase food production and climate resilience. Precision farming, driven by digital tools and data analytics, is helping farmers use water, fertilizer, and chemicals more efficiently, cutting waste and reducing harmful emissions. Techniques like biochar application and regenerative soil practices are restoring soil health and turning farms into carbon sinks.
Improved livestock feeding, including high-quality forages and feed additives, alongside selective breeding for low-methane-emitting animals, is helping cut greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector. Africa is uniquely positioned to build climate solutions that are effective and locally grounded by combining traditional knowledge with modern innovation.
Despite these advancements, challenges remain. Regulatory inconsistency and delays, public mistrust and cultural resistance, infrastructure and investment limitations, and concerns over biodiversity and environmental impacts are hurdles that must be addressed. However, the benefits of GM crops like Bt maize and herbicide-tolerant varieties, such as reduced pesticide use and improved yield under climate stresses, offer concrete incentives for continued investment in biotechnology.
Over 88 million people in East and Central Africa are food insecure, with more than 48 million in Southern Africa grappling with high levels of food insecurity. Biotechnology is a promising solution to this crisis, offering a means for farmers to adapt to a changing climate and combat pests and diseases. As Africa continues to embrace biotechnology, it is not just adapting to climate change—it is shaping a future where science and tradition work together to ensure food security for all.
References:
- African Agricultural Technology Foundation
- Cornell Alliance for Science
- AfricaBio
- African Journal of Agricultural Research
- African Development Bank
- The unpredictable climate change in Southern Africa, marked by erratic rainfall and rising temperatures, has significant impacts on the health of the region's environment and people, exacerbating food crises.
- In a proactive response, African countries are transitioning from stringent GM regulatory regimes to science-based, flexible policies that foster climate-smart agricultural interventions, such as gene editing and biotech innovations.
- The adoption of such technologies, like genetically modified maize varieties in Nigeria and Kenya, and genome-editing regulatory frameworks in Malawi, aim to enhance food production and climate resilience across the continent.
- Through precision farming, digital tools, data analytics, soil health restoration practices, improved livestock feeding, and selective breeding, African countries are harnessing technology and science to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring food security in the face of climate change.
