In Addis Ababa on March 10, 2018 (Fana), Dr. Kanisius Kanagire, executive director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, stated that biotechnology is a key motor for Africa's food security and sovereignty. In an interview with Fana Digital, he emphasized the need to make it practical in the field to boost productivity.
Dr. Kanisius Kanagire, executive director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), stated in an interview with Fana Digital in Addis Ababa that biotechnology serves as a primary motor for achieving food security and sovereignty in Africa. He stressed the importance of implementing it practically in the field to enhance crop yields and productivity. To counter climate change, drought, pests, and low productivity, he noted that field successes are already evident. In Ethiopia, biotech research on maize and wheat at the Bio and Nano Engineering Technology Institute has yielded high results, including numerous demonstrative varieties, according to Kanagire. While new agricultural technologies hold great potential to transform African farming, they require integrated extension services to bridge information gaps among farmers. The foundation is working to foster trust in the technology among Africans. Kanagire advocated positioning agriculture as an engine for socioeconomic transformation by funding our own changes with our own resources. Relying solely on external aid cannot sustainably strengthen food systems, as many current initiatives are beggar-driven and externally funded. Research institutions should adapt biotechnology to African contexts to address local agricultural challenges.