USAID African Partnership in Biotechnology:

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• USAID African Partnership in Biotechnology
• Strategies for Biotechnology
• CORAF/WECARD Presentation
• Walter S Alhassan, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria

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Background

• The West African Council for Agricultural
  Research and Development (WECARD), with the
  French acronym CORAF, is one of three
  sub-regional research organisations in
  sub-Saharan Africa

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CORAF s mission

• To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
  agricultural research in West and Central Africa
  by contributing to the building and consolidation
  of the capacities of the NARS
• Composition
• NARS of 21 member countries in WCA

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Previous Biotechnology Initiative

• A year 2000 study (Alhassan, 2001) on 5 countries
  (Cameroon, Côte dIvoire, Ghana, Nigeria and
  Senegal) revealed among others
  
• A low capacity for biotechnology in the
  sub-region
  
• Though CORAF recognised the importance of
  biotechnology as a tool in agricultural research
  there was no specific focus on it

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Current Biotechnology Initiative

• At the request of CORAF, USAID commissioned a
  more detailed study into biotechnology
  applications in the sub-region
  
• Countries surveyed
• Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte dIvoire, Ghana ,
  Mali, Nigeria and Senegal

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Current Biotechnology Initiative

• Terms of reference
• Make an inventory of on-going or planned
  biotech. activities
  
• Identify gaps and opportunities for
  agro- biotech. interventions
  
• Develop a framework to assist in undertaking
  priority setting for biotech. research and
  development from a regional perspective

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Findings

• Improved awareness of biotech. and a willingness
  of all NARS to use the tool in the national
  research systems
  
• A gradient in capacity for biotech. work Mali
  and Burkina Faso currently the weakest while
  Côte dIvoire and Senegal are the strongest

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Findings

• Most capacity in NARS is for tissue culture. Only
  3 labs. (CERAAS, Senegal CRI, Ghana and CNRA,
  Côte dIvoire) conduct studies to identify QTLs
  using molecular markers
• A wide range of commodities is worked on for
  characterisation, plant material development by
  tissue culture, disease and pest control

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Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West
and Central Africa

• Root and tuber crops
• Cassava (Manihot esculenta)
• Yams (Dioscorea spp.)
• Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagitifolium)
• Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas)
• Potato (Solanum tuberosum)
• Constraints
• Planting material, diseases, germplasm
  characterization.

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Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West
and Central Africa

• Musa spp.
• Banana (Musa spp. AAA)
• Plantain (Musa spp. AAB)
• Constraints
• Planting material, diseases, germplasm
  characterization

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Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West
and Central Africa

• Cereals
• Maize (Zea mays)
• Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)
• Rice (Oryza sativa)
• Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum)
• Constraints
• Gene pool characterization, Striga, drought,
  diseases, insects, other weeds

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Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West
and Central Africa

• Legumes
• Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)
• Constraints
• Genepool characterization, insects, drought

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Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West
and Central Africa

• Tree crops
• Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
• Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
• Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)
• Sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa)
• Kola (Cola acuminata)
• Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)
• Constraints
• Planting material, genepool characterization,
  insects, disease.

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Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West
and Central Africa

• Fibre crops
• Cotton (Gossypium spp.)
• Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus)
• Constraints
• Insects, planting material

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Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West
and Central Africa

• Animals
• Cattle
• Sheep
• Goats
• Poultry
• Constraints
• Diagnostics, disease (vaccines),
• characterization

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Commodities receiving biotech. attention in West
and Central Africa

• Others
• Micro-organisms
• Constraints
• Isolation, characterization and production of
  inocula (nitrogen fixation and food fermentation)

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Biopolicy Issues

• No country in the sub-region has passed its
  biosafety laws. Cameroon, Côte dIvoire and
  Nigeria are close to doing so
  
• Only Cameroon has ratified the Cartagena Protocol
  on Biosafety. Mali and Ghana are close to doing so

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Biopolicy Issues

• Nigeria is developing the most ambitious biotech.
  program in the sub-region
  
• Nigeria and Mali are targeted for special
  biotech. capacity building assistance by USAID

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Public Awareness

• There is a low level of public awareness of
  biotechnology and biosafety. The NGO community is
  better informed than the media.
  

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NGO Reaction to Issues of Biotechnology and
Biosafety in WCA (11 NGOs surveyed)

• Some understanding of biotech. (55)
• Positive attitude to biotech. agric. products
  including GMOs (46)
  
• Some understanding of biosafety (46)
• Willingness to train in biosafety (82)
• Willingness to recruit biosafety personnel (73)

Biopolicy Issues
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Media Commitment on Biotech. and Related
Disciplines in West and Central Africa

• Availability of science desk (50)
• Willingness to recruit science correspondent
  (75)
  
• Agriculture reporting (69)
• Health and environment reporting (63)
• Understanding of biotechnology (25)

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NARS Constraints

• Training and infrastructure were the commonest
  constraints of the NARS
  

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Sub-regional framework for biotechnology and
biosafety

• CORAF is yet to receive and deliberate on the
  current report. The suggested framework is
  subject to further modification by the CORAF
  General Assembly.

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Sub-regional framework for biotechnology and
biosafety

• Prioritisation and management of biotech. in WCA
  should follow the existing CORAF framework for
  Base Centres, Poles and Networks . There is the
  need to prioritise commodities to maximise
  resource use.

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Sub-regional framework for biotechnology and
biosafety

• The biosafety framework proposed for the ASARECA
  region is generic and will find application in
  the CORAF region. There is however the need to
  consider sanitary and phytosanitary measures
  alongside biosafety in germplasm movement across
  borders for sub-regional trade.

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Challenges for Biotechnology and Way Forward for
the CORAF sub-region

• Submit report for CORAF and USAID consideration
• Organise a stakeholders workshop to consider
  the report and assist in developing a set of
  priority actions as part of a proposal for
  assistance to development partners

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Challenges for biotechnology/Way Forward for the
CORAF sub-region

• Need to fast-track the biotech. planning and
  implementation process to meet development
  partner deadlines. ABSPII will be involved in
  capacity development process with IITA
• The proposal development needs to address how to
  get the public sector not to consider biosafety
  in isolation from biotech. capacity development

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