Cabinet Secretary for Agricultural and Livestock Development Mithika Linturi launched the Africa Biennial Biosciences Communication Symposium (ABBC 2023), an event geared towards connecting key players in the science, health and agricultural community together at the Windsor golf club in Kiambu County.
The symposium’s main agenda was to identify the unique role communication plays in the advancement of new breeding tools and how they can be used to ensure sustainable food systems, health, and wellbeing.
The CS said the Symposium marked an important step for communication within the agricultural sector in relation to transforming and fueling innovation in the country, he pointed out Kenya’s agricultural sectors extension policy for farmers
“In collaboration with the county governments and the national government, we will continue to invest efforts and resources in optimizing agricultural extension services within the country to effectively empower farmers with crucial knowledge,” he said.
The CS highlighted the potential of the new breeding tools in addressing the challenge of food insecurity and climate change, considering the lifted government ban on the importation and utilization of food derived from genetically modified organisms(GMOs) in the country, specifically BT cotton, even though there have been polarized by massive misinformation.
“My ministry continues to empower cotton farmers by improving access to BT cotton seeds although there are some quarters who are still opposed to the introduction of GMOs in the country. Poor engagements among stakeholders are one of the reasons to blame for the anti-GMO opposition, it is incumbent upon experts to come out and formulate inclusive engagement strategies,” he said.
Linturi also pointed out the challenges that exist in the agricultural field that have slowed progress, specifically the lack of adequate communication avenues on the continent that threatened efficiency and the realization of extension services.
“There are many things that are holding us back in the agricultural space, we currently are living in a world dominated by misinformation. We have a huge knowledge gap and trust deficit on new technologies showing that we clearly need faster and clearer lines of communication throughout.”
ABBC has continued to provide a platform for stakeholders with passion for biosciences, to actively exchange experiences and best-bet practices towards improving bioscience communications. ABBC2023 will be the 5th edition since its inception in 2015.
By Cedric Karungaru
