Agric & Biotech

The Gates Foundation is said to be funding a campaign to “end world hunger” by promoting genetically modified organism (GMO) technology. The organisation has reportedly hired 400 “science ambassadors” to influence agricultural policy in 35 countries. Bill Gates of the the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation According to an article published by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), the Bill and ...

Civil society groups under the aegis of the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Consortium (NBBC) has said that the development of the Pod-Borer Resistant Cowpea (PBR-Cowpea) is a confirmation of their expertise in Nigeria to be able to provide a home-grown solution to pest and diseases problems in agriculture. Beans come in several shapes, sizes, colours and tastes The group at ...

The Director General/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, has reiterated the agency’s commitment to put safety first in the regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria. Staff of the National Biosafety Management Agency at the workshop He stated this while declaring open a one-day training workshop organised for the staff of the NBMA.  Dr. Ebegba stressed ...

The Director General/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, has said that the NBMA ACT 2015 is strong enough to ensure a robust biosafety system for Nigeria. Officials of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) during the meeting with Clerks of the National Assembly Dr. Ebegba said at an interaction with Clerks of relevant committees of the National ...

Kenyan farmers should adopt seed varieties that are resilient to climatic shocks in order to achieve food security and expand revenue streams, Joseph Mathooko, a UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) official said on Monday, February 11, 2019. Jose Graziano da Silva, Director General of the FAO Mathooko, a field monitoring officer, said during a field trip to the coastal ...

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and farmers has denounced the recent approval for release of Bt cowpea (beans) for cultivation in Nigeria. The group is also demanding a rejection of the application for field trials of a cassava clone, asserting that the processes of making and approving these artificial crops present enormous threat to human and environmental health. A recent ...

As the world grows hotter and the impact of a changing climate becomes increasingly severe, moves are underway in Southeast Asia to put more trees back into the varied landscapes that typify the region. Farmland in Thailand, Southeast Asia The 10-member states that make up the Association of South-East Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, with a combined population of more ...

Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Rufus Ebegba, says the agency scrutinises all genetically modified organisms (GMOs) before permission is granted for use. Dr Rufus Ebegba Ebegba said this in a statement on Thursday, July 31, 2019 in Abuja to clarify the process of the recent approval granted for the commercialisation of GMO Cowpea. He said that ...

Acting Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof. Alex Akpa, says the agency is partnering with Biocrops Nigeria Limited in a research to produce indigenous products suitable for farmers. Prof. Alex Akpa Similarly, he disclosed that the agency is collaborating with the Cuban Government to produce vaccines and bio-pharmaceuticals. Akpa said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria ...

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved for environmental release the Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea (popularly called beans) developed by the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Members of the National Agricultural Research System of Nigeria at a joint press conference on the approved PBR Cowpea, in Abuja on Monday, January 28, 2019 The approval was contained ...