Changing weather patterns including rising temperatures, increasing drought incidences, floods and the proliferation of plant diseases are some of its effects causing havoc on farmers worldwide.

Africa, home to half of the world’s smallholder farmers, is particularly vulnerable to these threats because of its high dependency on climate-related activities and very limited resources that constrain its adaptive capacity. The pressing question we face now in Africa is how to safeguard the food security of our people amid these challenges.

Failed rains and other impacts of climate change are making more African countries increasingly food-insecure. One promising solution that could be a game changer in achieving sustainable food and nutrition secure [in] Africa is the adoption of biotechnology and complementary innovative technologies at significant levels that can catalyse productivity transformation and improve food system resilience in the developing world in particular.

In the face of increasing threats from climate change and mounting food insecurity, the choice is clear for Africa: We must embrace biotechnology and complement it with a wide spectrum of other appropriate technologies to efficiently address agricultural challenges on the continent toward building a more resilient productive and food secure Africa.

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