August 2022 - 18

DUETS
I am not against a
sovereign nation
that says no to
biotechnology if
evidence shows they do
not need it. I am against
countries being forced to
decline technology
in ignorance.
University in 2015 as part of the inaugural cohort of fellows under the
Alliance for Science (AFS). AFS was under Cornell at that time, but we
have now moved to the Boyce Thompson Institute.
The fellowship exposed us to agricultural biotechnology - its
science, benefits, myths and communication. I was already working on
a biotech project back home in Uganda, so I wasn't too green about this
technology and the difficulty of communicating it.
After the training, I went back to my communication specialist job
focusing on vitamin A-enhanced bananas in Uganda. A few years down
the road, AFS took me on as a trainer, then as lead trainer, and now as
leader of our Africa office. Over the years, AFS has trained almost 300
enthusiastic young people from across the globe, mainly from Africa
and Asia.
Peter: Congratulations on your work to establish an African office for
AFS. That effort in itself must be making the world a lot smaller regarding
information and technology transfer for your small farmers. I always learn
when interacting with fellow farmers and greenhouse operators, and I
have promised myself that should the day arrive when I no longer learn as
much from growers as I teach, my career relevancy will have passed.
I'm grateful to learn from you today because my experience has
been limited to North America. Let's compare and contrast small farm
operations here in the U.S. with small farms in Africa by calling on our
respective experiences. Your perspective is more complete than mine, as
you have seen U.S. agriculture during your fellowship at AFS. Specifically,
tell us about Uganda, where you grew up and where your family lives,
and Kenya, where you are currently based.
Patricia: Through the Alliance, I have had the good fortune of visiting
small family farms in the U.S. - Iowa and upstate New York - and
meeting farmers from South America and Europe. What you people call
" small " is mega in Africa. On average, a smallholder farmer in Africa has
one to five acres of land, and on it they practice mixed farming (i.e., a few
chickens, goats, cows, and major food and cash crops in their regions).
18 AUGUST 2022 GPNMAG.COM
S/he has no mechanization - only a hoe and panga, what you call
a machete, as well as manure from their livestock, and they generally
replant seed from previous harvests. However, with more research
and outreach, a few are starting to use fertilizer and improved seeds.
Research shows this coverage is at 30%.
Peter: Your mention of a hoe takes me back to my youth on my family's
small (for us) vegetable farm. One's hoe was practically an extension of
one's arms. Here in New England many of our soils are full of rocks and
stones of all sizes. After a couple years using a hoe, the working edge
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would get worn down and blunted from all the rock contact. It was only
when a new hoe was purchased and placed next to an old one that the
significant wear was noticeable.
You wrote an article on today's topic whose message has impacted
me to my core. Please share your knowledge and perspective on this
controversial topic with our readers regarding biotechnology, the world
community and African farmers' interests.
Patricia: During my fellowship at Cornell, I was exposed to the
global conversation around biotechnology. It is an extremely polarized
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August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2022
