During the launch of the Africa Biennial Biosciences Communication Symposium (ABBC 2023), an event geared towards connecting key players in the science, health, and agricultural community together, the importance of communication was highlighted by CS Linturi.
ABBC has continued to provide a platform for stakeholders with a passion for biosciences, to actively exchange experiences and best-bet practices towards improving bioscience communications. ABBC2023 will be the 5th edition since its inception in 2015.
The symposium launch was headlined by Cabinet Secretary for Agricultural and Livestock Development Mithika Linturi who lauded the initiative as a crucial aspect in information. He emphasized the need for an increase in communications within the sector of agriculture a gap he points out to be a major challenge for the thriving of the sector.
The main agenda of the symposium is the identification of the unique role that communication plays in the advancement of new breeding tools and how they can be used to ensure sustainable food systems, health, and well-being.
“In collaboration with the county governments and the national government, we will continue to invest efforts and resources in optimizing agricultural extension services within the country to effectively empower farmers with crucial knowledge,” he said.
Citing misinformation in the sector, CS Linturi points out slowed progress in the sector attributed specifically to the lack of adequate communication avenues which is a similar case on the continent that threatens efficiency and the realization of extension services in agriculture.
Africa Biennial Biosciences Communication Symposium (ABBC 2023) is set to bring together policymakers, bio-safety regulators, scientists, communicators, and other experts in space and is key in propelling biosciences innovations in the continent and globally.
CS Linturi further affirmed that the new breeding tools are key in addressing some of the challenges like food insecurity and climate change. In this case, he went ahead to offer clarification about the lifted government ban on the importation and utilization of food derived from genetically modified organisms(GMOs) in the country, specifically BT cotton, even though they have been polarized by massive misinformation.
“My ministry continues to empower cotton farmers by improving access to BT cotton seeds although there are some quarters who are still opposed to the introduction of GMOs in the country. Poor engagements among stakeholders are one of the reasons to blame for the anti-GMO opposition, it is incumbent upon experts to come out and formulate inclusive engagement strategies,” he said.
