This archive report was first published on 29 August 2021.
August 29, 2021 - Nairobi, Kenya
Gene editing holds immense value for Kenya and the African continent, but its gains could be lost without trust-building outreach to farmers and consumers.
Professor Richard Oduor, an associate professor of molecular biology at Kenyatta University, emphasizes the importance of involving farmers and consumers in the conversation about agricultural technology.
'We need to start thinking very basic,' Professor Oduor said. 'We need to start thinking about the farmers.'
Scientists must change how they interface with farmers and other members of society, according to Professor Oduor. He asks, 'How do farmers and the government look at genome editing? Do they find it as trendy as we do? And if that isn't the case, where are we going wrong?'
Professor Oduor also stresses the need to involve the youth and the political class in the agriculture agenda, using targeted messaging to communicate the subject in a language that appeals to these demographics.
Kenya has seen a number of biotechnological innovations, but they have not been widely adopted. Professor Oduor wonders if the strategy used to communicate these new technologies is the problem.
Genetic modification, which preceded gene editing, has hardly scratched the surface of its potential in Kenya. Professor Oduor notes that GMO has been available in the country since 1998, but after almost 33 years, there is still little to show for it.
