Droughts and Agricultural Development in Africa: The Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Mitigation Strategy in Food Security

Abstract

Climate change indicators, particularly frequent droughts which have occurred in Africa since the Sahelian drought of 1968-1972 cause devastating effects to the agricultural sector. These effects include; crop failures, water and pasture shortage, famines, hunger and economic underdevelopment to rain fed dependent agricultural systems in Africa. Different stakeholders have proposed various strategies which focus on mitigating the negative effects caused by drought on agriculture. Some researchers have emphatically proposed the introduction of genetically modified organisms/crops (GMO) as a strategy to mitigate the negative effects of drought on food security in Africa. This research investigates whether GMOs are functional solutions to ensuring sustainable food production in arid Africa. Data for the study was collected and analyzed from; interviews with subsistence farmers in Kenya,  reports from the National Bio Safety Authority, Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization,  drought scenarios in Africa since 1968-72 and attending GMO organized workshops.  It was established that GMO crops are accepted by large scale cash crop farmers in 28 countries and banned in 38 countries worldwide. They are not accepted by small scale subsistence farmers who cultivate indigenous crops. Agricultural research should therefore, focus on alternative methods of improving the quality and yields of indigenous food crops which are cultivated by small scale farmers, instead of introducing the GMOs which promote monoculture and agricultural dependency on few selected crops.