Sorghum stakeholders in Kenya and Ethiopia have called for more investment in demystifying science through effective communication in order to foster trust and acceptance of emerging gene technologies. Speaking during a science communication and regulatory workshop held from July 30 to August 1 in Nairobi, the stakeholders were concerned that without public trust, the potential of new agricultural innovations will not be realized.
The workshop was organized through the Feed the Future Striga Smart Sorghum for Africa (SSSfA) project being implemented in Kenya and Ethiopia. SSSfA is a multi-institutional project led by ISAAA AfriCenter in partnership with Kenyatta University, Addis Ababa University, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, and Bio and Emerging Technology Institute, with technical backstopping from Beneficial Bio, UK. The project utilizes genome editing (GEd) technology to develop durable Striga resistance in sorghum while building the capacity for routine GEd research and development in Kenya and Ethiopia.
SSSfA Project Lead Dr. Margaret Karembu asked project members, partners and invited stakeholders to always align their communication with the audience value system saying this will strengthen credibility on communication about Striga-resistant sorghum. “Enhance message believability by establishing a personal touch between scientists and the audience,” remarked Dr. Karembu.
The Project Lead told participants that SSSfA has developed a robust communication strategy that counts on the importance of stakeholder involvement and engagements before the improved sorghum is commercialized. She said stakeholders form the hallmark of success in any project and thus should be involved from the onset. “We have mapped out stakeholders according to their needs and values, and developed appropriate messages that resonate with diverse interests,” she revealed.
Project co-Lead Prof. Steven Runo explained more about the project and the process used in developing the Striga-smart sorghum. Prof. Runo lamented that though sorghum is a key food security crop and a source of nutrition for over 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, its production has been significantly devastated by Striga, a notorious parasitic weed. Striga infests about 100,000 hectares of land causing 30-100 per cent yield losses amounting to more than US$ 7 billion annually. ““The scale of the Striga problem drives our research and motivates the development of effective solutions,” noted Prof. Runo.
Emphasizing on the importance of science communication, Prof. Firew Mekbib of Hiramaya University, Ethiopia, underscored the need to ramp up efforts in building a pool of science communicators who can effectively combat misinformation on agricultural biotechnology. “It is alarming to note that $ 2 million dollars is used daily to spread misinformation and fight biotechnology,” he said.
The stakeholders asked for an expedited completion of genome editing glossary of terms currently being developed by ISAAA AfriCenter. The booklet unpacks genome editing terminologies and provides alternative simplified terms. This will provide a user-friendly resource for communicators, scientists and regulators.
This weed infests about 100,000 hectares of land causing 30-100 per cent yield losses and amounting to more than US$ 7 billion annually. The enormity of the Striga problem in Africa propels research and therefore the project seeks to find a solution to Striga impediment.
The stakeholders were also updated on the global status of genome editing regulatory frameworks. They also brainstormed and built their understanding on the process that Striga-resistant GEd sorghum will follow since it cannot be regulated as genetically modified organisms. The stakeholders outlined future steps and identified challenges and opportunities for commercialization of GEd sorghum in Kenya and Ethiopia.
The workshop capped off with a study tour to a Striga-smart sorghum field trials in Busia, western Kenya. Thirty-seven (37) stakeholders comprising biosafety regulators, government technocrats, industry players, researchers and representatives of partner organizations took part in this workshop-cum-study tour.