Can we separate science from agriculture?

It is a big paradox that our leaders are talking passionately about training scientists and raising science teachers’ salaries and at the same time being slow to accept new scientific ideas even when they are meant to boost the country’s agricultural output, the economy, and food security.

I am reminded of two articles recently written by two female science writers, Dr Amanda Maxham and our own Lominda Afedraru, published in the online Genetic Literacy Project newsletter.

Lominda wrote about a new effort that Ugandan scientists have launched to help local farmers understand better the country’s biotechnology and bio-safety law. Parliament passed the law in 2017 but it still awaits the signature of President Museveni who has expressed reservations about the measure.

Her article further reveals that some anti-science activists have been meeting opinion leaders and farmers as well as key politicians in the country, telling them, without providing any evidence, that growing GMO crops will destroy the environment and our traditional crops and that eating GMO food crops can cause sexual impotence, cancer, obesity and a whole range of frightful deformities. GMO crop researchers at Naro, Science Foundation for Livelihood and Development (SCIFODE) and Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFA) have therefore combined effort to counter what they call gross misinformation of the anti-biotechnology activists by talking to farmers and opinion leaders across the country.

In her article, Dr Maxham is quite critical of anti-biotechnology activists that she says are opposed to the ideas that would move humanity forward.

“Part of the problem is that many people are not even aware that the products of genetic engineering surround them,” she says. “If you know a diabetic who must take insulin to survive, you know someone whose life depends on genetically engineered yeast to produce that medicine. Each fruit, vegetable and food animal that we enjoy has been transformed through thousands of human decisions into highly advanced products—even before the advent of genetic engineering.”

Growing biotech cotton in Uganda would revive our almost collapsed textile industry. Biotech banana Irish potato, maize, rice, and cassava would enhance food security and nutrition.
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