Africa’s rising food import bill, now estimated at around $70 billion annually, is a stark indicator of the urgent need to invest in agriculture biotechnology and climate-smart food systems. According to scientists, this figure is expected to balloon to $111 billion by 2025, underscoring the continent’s growing dependence on external food sources. To tackle this challenge, African nations are increasingly turning to agricultural biotechnology, a field that promises to enhance food security and boost local economies.
The New Times’ Michel Nkurunziza recently caught up with Rwandan biologist Canisius Kanangire, the Executive Director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), during the 2025 Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Africa Media Awards in Nairobi, Kenya. Kanangire provided valuable insights into Africa’s agricultural biotechnology future, highlighting Rwanda’s upcoming biotech banana variety and other promising projects for African countries.
Agricultural biotechnology, defined as the use of tissue culture and genetic engineering techniques to produce genetically modified (GM) crops, offers new or improved desirable characteristics. Kanangire described the current state of agricultural biotechnology adoption in Africa as a challenging yet rewarding journey. “Introducing biotech products requires navigating complex regulatory frameworks, biosafety rules, and capacity building,” he explained. “This process is lengthy and requires trust and political will.”
Currently, BT cotton has been adopted in nine African countries. In terms of food crops, South Africa leads with GM maize and soybean. Nigeria has commercialized drought-tolerant and insect-resistant maize, as well as BT cowpea. Ghana has started commercializing BT cowpea. Other products are in the pipeline, with Ethiopia almost ready with TELA maize and Mozambique making progress. Burkina Faso is close to releasing BT cowpea, while Kenya made significant progress before court cases temporarily halted the commercial release of TELA maize.
Kanangire emphasized the importance of biotechnology for Africa’s food security future. “When you look at global agriculture, you notice that it is only in Africa where agriculture has largely remained traditional, without significant technological advancements,” he noted. “The idea behind AATF was to bring to Africa technologies that have proven highly effective elsewhere in transforming agriculture into a productive, income-generating, and rewarding activity.”
The innovations being implemented by AATF span the entire value chain, from identifying problems to finding solutions, negotiating access, customizing technologies, working with seed systems, and finally guiding farmers. Kanangire highlighted the organization’s work with national agricultural research organizations and universities to adapt global innovations to the African context.
Regarding regulatory environments, Kanangire reported that 12 African countries have now approved biosafety laws. However, not all have begun adopting the products. He expressed optimism that more countries will follow suit, citing recent interest from Eswatini in the TELA maize trials programme.
As a Rwandan scientist, Kanangire sees his home country positioning itself as a leader in agricultural biotechnology research and adoption. “Rwanda is committed to providing improved varieties to its farmers,” he said. “Use of data transportability. Rwanda trusted data generated in neighbouring countries with similar conditions, avoiding unnecessary duplication. This approach can serve as a model for other countries.”
Looking ahead, Kanangire expects Rwanda to soon adopt GM bananas, with partners in Australia and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) ready to bring this technology if Rwanda is interested. He anticipates that by 2029, Rwanda could have TELA maize, improved cassava, and other products in farmers’ hands.
To ensure that biotech innovations remain accessible and affordable to African farmers, AATF negotiates access to these technologies and works to deliver them without royalties. Kanangire also shared lessons from Rwanda’s agricultural transformation, highlighting the country’s efficient biosafety law adoption process and its commitment to providing improved varieties to farmers.
As Africa grapples with a rising food import bill, the adoption of agricultural biotechnology offers a promising path towards food security and economic growth. With organizations like AATF leading the way, African nations are poised to harness the power of biotechnology to transform their agricultural sectors and secure a brighter future for their farmers.