The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) Acting Chief Executive Officer, Nehemiah Ngetich, has announced that the government has approved the growing of the first set of genetically modified (GMO) crops following the High Court’s dismissal of consolidated petitions that challenged a Cabinet order to lift a 10-year ban on gene-altered foods in the country.
While appearing before the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Livestock Development to explain the NBA’s role in ensuring the safety of GMOs and their products, Mr Ngetich disclosed that the Authority’s scientists and plant breeders are currently conducting small-scale confined field trials (CFTs). These trials, he said, are crucial for assessing their safety and evaluating the potential of new plant traits in an open environment before granting final approval for unrestricted commercial cultivation, consumption, and trade.
He cited examples of GMOs currently under field trials across the country, such as Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS) in Kitale, virus-resistant sweet potato in Kakamega, BioCassava Plus (BC+) in Alupe, Busia County, and virus-resistant cassava in Thika.
> Kenya Sees Increase in Maize Surplus
Additionally, a GM potato variety resistant to late blight disease is being tested at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in Nakuru, while Bt Cotton, containing insecticidal proteins derived from the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, has already undergone field trials in Mwea Scheme, Kirinyaga County.
“The Authority has already approved the commercialisation of Bt Cotton, which has been cultivated since 2020 without any adverse effects reported through our monitoring and surveillance system,” Mr Ngetich informed the Senate Committee. “Other crops, such as Bt Maize and virus-resistant cassava, are at advanced stages of variety testing towards their commercialisation.”
The NBA boss emphasised the importance of CFTs as a necessary step in the development of genetically modified crops because they allow scientists to evaluate the agronomic performance of new crop varieties before releasing them to farmers.
In his message to farmers, he highlighted the benefits of genetic engineering in agriculture, including increased crop yields, reduced production costs due to lower input requirements, decreased reliance on pesticides, and enhanced nutritional value and food quality. These advantages, he noted, contribute to greater food security for the country’s growing population.
He has reassured Kenyans that, despite the absence of substantiated evidence that GMOs are harmful to human health, the Authority will ensure that GMO foods meet the same safety standards as other foods by carefully assessing and approving only those deemed safe for human, plant, and animal health.
> Ruto’s Agriculture Millions: Inside His Commercial Farms
Leave a comment