Exploring the capacity of modern biotechnology to enhance climate smart crop production in Africa
2025
Gideon Sadikiel Mmbando
Abstract The changing climate is causing more and more problems for Africa's agriculture sector, such as heat stress, drought, and soil erosion, which endanger crop productivity and food security. However, little is known about the use of modern biotechnology tools for climate-smart crop production in Africa. This review investigates how current biotechnology can promote climate-smart crop production throughout the continent. Several biotechnological techniques for creating crop varieties with raised resistance to pests, drought, and salinity, such as genetic engineering, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, and marker-assisted selection were examined in this study. By focusing on crucial climate-resilient characteristics like improved water-use efficiency, pest resistance, and nutrient-use optimization, these biotechnologies present revolutionary avenues for sustainable farming practices in Africa. Along with problems like public perception, regulatory limitations, and absence of research infrastructure, strategies for overcoming barriers to widespread adoption are covered. This review emphasizes the importance of biotechnology in guaranteeing durable African food systems and reducing agricultural risks connected to climate change, while also emphasizing the necessity of global collaboration and capacity building, and favourable policies.
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