More African countries could turn to GM crops

22 Mar 2011
Up to an additional seven African nations are expected to start with the commercial production of genetically modified (GM) crops by 2015. According to an annual report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Mali, Togo, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi could all commence with the production of GM crops within the next few years. GM seed creation involves the insertion of genes for specific traits into a plant’s DNA. Proponents of biotech crops say it leads to increased agricultural productivity with less labour and pesticides required. In a world with growing concerns about food security, these benefits can hardly be ignored. On the other hand there are also many people opposed to the commercial production of biotech crops, citing worries about its long-term health effects on consumers, as well possible dangers it might hold for the environment.

http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/news/more_african_countries_could_turn_gm_crops