Africa BICs Communication and Outreach Activities

ByMargaret Karembu ISAAA AfriCenter

Singapore , April 4-6, 2011

Outline

• Areas of responsibility• Our Communication Goal (desire)• Initiatives & activities in 2010• Updates on changing political landscape• Challenges faced• Planned Activities for 2011

From R-L: Anthony Nderitu; Faith Nguthi; Brigitte Bitta; Ann Mukuna; Arnold Musanga; Margaret Karembu and David Wafula (PBS staff-hosted)

The AfriCenter Team

Africa BICs Strategy

1. Strengthening capacity for crop biotechnology uptake

- Knowledge-sharing- Science Communication- Enabling policies - Regional harmonization efforts

2. Promoting strategic alliances and partnerships

3. Facilitating international representation of Africa’s biotechnology agenda

Regions covered

Eastern and Central Africa

West Africa

North Africa

Southern Africa (thro’ partnerships) with Africa Bio

Our desire for Africa by 2015Main Driver – Regulations for enabling, not

blocking Innovation and end-user satisfaction

2010 (3 countries)South Africa, Burkina Faso

and Egypt

2015 (up to 10 countries) South Africa, Burkina Faso,

Egypt, Mali, Togo, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania , Malawi

EGYPT

BURKINAFASO

SOUTHAFRICA

NIGERIA

KENYA

UGANDA

MALAWI

BURKINAFASO

TOGO

SOUTHAFRICA

EGYPT

TANZANIA

MALI

Knowledge-sharing

Africa Launch of Brief 41 Country Population

(Millions)No. of Impressions

Burkina Faso 13.2 32,120,000

Egypt 78.8 126,000,000

Ethiopia 85 20,000,000

Ghana 23 64,068,000

Kenya 39 41,660,006

Malawi 15 22,000,500

Mali 13.5 2,800,000

South Africa 47.4 1,226,006

Tanzania 37.8 15,000,000

Uganda 23 6,262,500

TOTAL 375.7 321,137,012

10 countries

Highlights translated in 9 African languages

Some Africa

Launch events

Banaman Mali

Translations of Brief 41&42 Highlights

Moore and DiulaBurkina Faso Amharic

Ethiopia

Luganda Uganda

Kiswahili Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and DR Congo

EweSpoken in Togo ,Benin

and Ghana

AkanDominant Local

Dialect of Ghana

Chichewa and ChitumbukaMalawi

Contributions to Crop Biotech UpdateCurrently >1million subscribers

• Contributed 18 articles on key Africa biotech developments

Honorable Kityo, former member of parliament and the Secretary General of the Uganda National Farmers Federation, challenged Uganda leaders to change their attitude toward GM "to ensure that when Africa is waking up, Uganda is not left behind.”

• Achieved target subscription of 10,000

Seeing-is-believing study tours in Burkina Faso and Egypt

Enhanced understanding of commercialization process

Appreciation of benefits

Spain and Burkina farmers sharing the experience with the Egyptians

Biovision, Bibliotheca Alexandria, April 2010

COP-MOP5 Preparatory Workshop for Africa Delegates

Key outputs: • Interactions with one of the

co-Chairs (Rene) of L&R working group

• COMPACT discussed• Communiqué outlining Africa

fundamental issues• Signs of informed

contributions at MOP5 -Kenya

Sharing IEC Materials in various fora

Science Communication

Building Capacity in Science/Risk Communication (with PBS)

Regulators (National Biosafety Authority Board) Scientists Policy makers Journalists

Strategic Alliances - OFAB with AATF

2-hour lunch meeting every last Thursday of

the month -topical issues; local and

international Speakers

Member - Bt cotton commercialization taskforce in Kenya

• Sensitisation and stewardship committee• Creating awareness among extension officers

in two cotton growing areas-Rift Valley, Coastal region

• Developing simplified IEC materials• Radio programmes• Development of video on Bt cotton activities

Regional harmonization efforts

RABESA project under COMESABiosafety regional harmonization efforts

• 19 member states

• Population > 389 million

• Annual import bill of around US$ 32bn

• Export bill of US$ 82 billion

Africa’s largest trading bloc

Challenges• Delay in the gazettment of biosafey regulations• Delayed multi-locational evaluation trials• In Egypt political restlessness may interfere

with the commercialization process• Strict biosafety regulations in Tz have halted

initiation of WEMA trials sending negative signs to product developers

• Increased activism and gross misinformation even among scientists

Activities for 2011Target countries- Burkina Faso, Egypt, Malawi, Uganda, Mali, Togo

• Technology acceptance- sensitization and awareness creation in Universities and educational institutions, study tours

• Global report launches• Activities to facilitate favourable regulatory

processes• Development and translation of IEC materials

into popular local languages• Stewardship in commercialization though radio• Africa Communications Book

Thank you!