Alternatives to overcoming food insecurity?

As previously discussed, unless Africa rapidly increases their food production they face a future of drastic food insecurity, malnutrition and a reliance on food imports to feed their population. Their population is growing, estimated to reach 2.4 billion by 2050, and agricultural productivity growth lags behind the rest of the world. So, what could be a potential solution to help reduce food insecurity?

GM Crops

Genetically modified crops (GM) are crops which are modified using engineering methods to introduce a new trait to the plant which wouldn’t naturally occur in that species. Examples include golden rice (fortified with vitamin A), soybean (modified to have a higher level of oleic acid) and sugar beets (modified to be herbicide resistant).

Current Situation of GM crops in Africa and attitudes

Currently only 4 African countries have approved commercial cultivation of GM crops; South Africa Burkina Faso, Egypt and South Sudan, even though at the 2012 African Agriculture Conference 24 African countries agreed to allow the use of GM crops.

Attitudes to GM crops differ between countries, e.g. herbicide tolerant maize has been grown commercially in South Africa since 2003 and has been a success, but US food aid given to Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe was rejected because genetically modified maize was included in the package.

Some SSA farmers are hesitant to grow GM crops because they wouldn’t be able to participate in certain European markets due to GM laws, and their crops would only be suitable for animal feed, other farmers worry that GM crops may negatively impact their traditional seed systems (seed selection, breeding, sharing and storage) which could lead to the loss of indigenous varieties of seeds.  

Currently GM crops planted in Africa have been developed elsewhere, and there are no indigenous GM crops. There is a distinct lack of R&D (research and development) in SSA which translates into a relatively poor innovative capacity and the lack of ability to develop indigenous GM crops. Therefore, an appropriate technology strategy needs to be developed to identify beneficial GM crops, and to also educate farmers about the benefits GM crops can bring.

GM crops as a success in Africa, South Africa Case Study

Bt maize is the most important field crop in South Africa, covering roughly 30% of total arable land, and is the staple food crop for the majority of the South African population and livestock. In 2001 South Africa become the first country to permit the commercial production of a GM subsistence crop known as Bt white maize. Damage to current maize crop stocks by borers (insect which bore into plants) had caused losses of between 5 – 75% and are estimated to have reduced annual maize crops by 10%, or roughly $200 million in losses.

Bt traits were inserted into hybrids to make them herbicide tolerant and by 2008/09 GM maize covered 70% of total South African maize production.

Researchers have found that average yield increases for Bt maize in South Africa are between 10-11% for commercial farmers, and as high as 32% for smallholder farmers. Therefore, an average 16% increase in yield for a smallholder farmer, which translates into an extra 110 kilograms of grain, will generate significant income if sold. Alternatively, if this extra grain replaces flour which the smallholder would have had to buy for food, a 16% yield advantage translates to approximately 36 more days of maize meal for the household, increasing food security. Although there are no official figures for the percentage of smallholder farmers which adopted GM maize, it is estimated that about 23% of smallholder farmers are buying GM maize seeds from one of the 3 major seed companies.

Using yield increases, insecticide savings and the increased price of GM seeds, Gouse et al (2005), Brookes and Barfoot (2010) estimate that between 2000 and 2008 the adoption of Bt maize has increase farmer’s income by nearly US$500 million.  

Looking at South Africa as a brief case study demonstrates the success GM crops can be. South Africa benefits from a strong research background and appropriate legislative regulations which encourage GM crop usage.

Potential for GM bananas in Uganda?

Bananas are one of the most important crops for Uganda, with over 25% of the population relying on the crop as a source of food and income. However, banana yields are drastically reduced by pests and diseases which is why the National Banana Research Program in Uganda has attempted to identify hybrid banana varieties with a lower susceptibility to these diseases and 6 times the normal level of vitamin A. Considering the average Ugandan eats between 750g – 1kg of banans a day the increased level of vitamin A could help to reduce malnutrition levels, especially for those under the age of 5, where vitamin A malnutrition levels are over 50% and roughly 750,000 children die from a vitamin A deficiency. Studies estimate that potential annual benefits could be in the range of US$300 million+ and their banana research program hopes to have their bananas grown in Uganda by 2021.

Why hasn’t there been a larger take-up?

Even in cases where farmers are pro-GM crops they often face institutional challenges, especially smallholder farmers. Many smallholder farmers are subsistence-based, have to pay from their own pocket for inputs (seeds) and their crop output often relies on that season’s rainfall. If there has been a dry season and crop yields have been poor that year, they are unable to recover their input expenditures. Farmers who only produce crops on a subsistence basis are unlikely to be interested in GM crops as they are not producing commercially, and only require enough crops for themselves, so the increased price of seeds doesn’t appeal.

Smallholder farmers can lack access to credit, so seed companies may not serve these farmers as a profit won’t be made, and smallholders don’t tend to buy fertilisers and complementary inputs that the seed companies provide. Therefore, there is an onus on the government to subsidise these farmers so they can afford the seed prices, however often governments cannot afford to subsidise smallholder farmers and it is only the commercial farmers who are able to access GM seed varieties.

Summary

GM crops offer an abundance of opportunities to enhance food security in Africa, however positive attitudes towards GM crops are not shared by all African countries (Only 24/54 agreed to the use of GM crops in 2012) even though the potential benefits could outweigh the negatives. Fortified crops help to reduce nutrition, and higher yields increase farmers income, which can then be spent on food (evidenced by South Africa and possibly Uganda in the future). If other African countries outside of the 4 currently growing GM crops are serious about a future with GM crops, they need to heavily innovate and develop their own indigenous GM crops which specifically suit their agricultural needs, which they can produce at a price affordable for smallholder farmers.