BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD SECURITY JHILL JOHNS GMASSURE Biosafety Capacity Building Initiative in SADC, Namibia, 17-21 November 2014 Department: Science and Technology REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
OUTLINE 1. FOOD SECURITY 2. BIOTECHNOLOGY 3. GMOS IN AFRICA 4. CONCLUSION 2
1. FOOD SECURITY Background: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were a pledge to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and equity, and free the world from extreme poverty. Goal 1/8: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 3
1. FOOD SECURITY Food security is when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. 4
1. FOOD SECURITY Dimensions of food security includes: 1. Food availability (sufficient quantities, appropriate quality) production, imports 2. Food access (access to resources for acquiring foods) access to markets, infrastructure, employment, affordability 3. Food utilisation (non food inputs) health and nutrition, sanitation/hygiene, storage/processing facilities, clean water 4. Food stability 5
1. FOOD SECURITY Why is food security an issue? Population growth & urbanisation Poverty Health Climate Change Politics Food insecurity is limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways. 6
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1. FOOD SECURITY Hunger Map Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) 10
1. FOOD SECURITY Western Africa: poor affordability, poor infrastructure, weak institutions Central Africa: low food supply, poor infrastructure Eastern Africa: fastest growing, low incomes, poor infrastructure, emergency food insecurity Southern Africa: highest overall score, developed farming system 11
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1. FOOD SECURITY Challenges to food security in Africa: SSA remains poorest region in the world 50% population US$1.25/day Farming highly fragmented Populations are spread over large geographical areas Poor infrastructure 13
2. BIOTECHNOLOGY biotechnology is defined as "any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. (Convention on Biological Diversity) 14
2. BIOTECHNOLOGY Applications: Medical Mining Livestock Forestry Crops 15
2. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOOD INSECURITY BIOTECHNOLOGY (GM crops) Crop yields; improved traits; biofortified crops FOOD SECURITY Availability Access Utilisation Stability
3. GMOs IN AFRICA GM Crop Producing Countries: South Africa Burkina Faso Sudan Egypt* GM Crops: 3.2 million ha (2012) Cotton Maize Soybean Traits: Insect Resistance (IR) Herbicide Tolerance (HT) IR/HT 17
3. GMOs in AFRICA 1. South Africa 2.9 million ha (2012) 87% GM maize 92% GM soybean 100% GM cotton 2. Egypt Restriction on planting GM maize (2013) 3. Burkina Faso GM cotton GM cotton adoption 51% (2012) 474 000 ha (2013) 4. Sudan GM cotton 62 000 ha (2013) 18
3. GMOs in AFRICA Economic Benefits of GM Crops: 1. South Africa $1.15billion (1998-2013) $218,5million (2012) 2. Egypt Yield increase $267/ha Plus insecticide saving $89/ha Less Additional cost $75 Net benefit $281 3. Burkina Faso 206% increase in cotton income $30 million (2013) 4. Sudan? 19
3. GMOs in AFRICA Economic benefits in South Africa BT MAIZE COMMERCIAL FARMERS Irrigation Rain-fed Yield gain 11% or 12MT/ha 11% or 3.4MT/ha Cost savings $18/ha or 60% reduction $7/ha or 60% reduction Increased income $117/ha $35/ha Bt Maize Smallholder farmers yield gains: 31% conventional hybrids 134% open pollinated varieties $267 million (2000-2008) Keetch et al., Biosafety in Africa: Experiences and Best Practices. Michigan State University 20
3. GMOs in AFRICA GMO development pipeline Crops: cowpea, sorghum, cassava, banana, sweet potato Countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Traits: Drought tolerance, Viral resistance 21
4. CONCLUSION Challenge to feed >9 billion by 2050 Biotechnology as an intervention to achieve food security GM crops can contribute to sustainable food production Improved productivity and income can improve economic rural growth Co-ordinated and concerted effort involving all stakeholders 22
THANK YOU 23 James Rhodes james@biosafety.org.za www.biosafety.org.za