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Titre : Farmers’ perspectives on agricultural biotechnology : case studies of Burkina Faso and Kenya

Het Perspectief van Landbouwers op Agro-biotechnologie : onderzoek in Burkina Faso en Kenia

Auteur : Sanou, Idrissa Rachid Edouard

Université de soutenance : Gent University

Grade : Doctor (PhD) in Applied Biological Sciences : Agricultural Sciences 2019

Sommaire partiel
Since the first commercial release of GM crop in mid-1990s, over the last two decades the implementation of GM technology in agriculture has been fueling a scientific and increasingly societal debate. Linking the rapid adoption of GM crops to the substantial multiple benefits realized by both large and small farmers in industrial and developing countries which have commercially grown GM crops, the majority of scientific studies have positioned agricultural biotechnology as a feasible solution to alleviate the issue of malnutrition and food insecurity in developing countries. This view is also shared by International Organizations (e.g. FAO and World Bank). Even though, substantial agronomic, environmental, economic, health, and social benefits linked to the adoption of GM crops were attributed to farmers, and increasingly to the consumers in various studies, agricultural biotechnology remains a controversial subject, mostly in Europe and Africa. However, despite the intense ongoing political debate about the adoption of GM crops in both continents, the majority of soybeans used in European food and feed is imported and more than 75% of the global soybean production is GM. Regarding SubSaharan Africa, although for the few African countries that currently grow GM crops (South Africa and Sudan), or that have done it in the past (Burkina Faso) agronomic, environmental and health benefits for farmers were reported, GM technology uptake is still subject to a fierce debate between proponents and opponents. In contrast to Europe, farmers’ voice on GM technology application in Africa seems to be lagging behind or to be under-considered in the debate about the development, implementation or regulation of agricultural biotechnology. Moreover, African farmers’ opinions on this controversial issue appeared to be seldomly accounted for in scientific research. For this purpose, this PhD dissertation investigates farmers perspectives on agricultural biotechnology in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study was conducted in West (Burkina Faso) and East (Kenya) Africa.

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