About OFAB

African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in collaboration with like-minded partners organizations established the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) in Nairobi-Kenya in September 2006 as a platform to facilitate regular exchange of credible information among stakeholders.

African governments and the African Union/New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU/NEPAD) recognize improved/innovative technologies as essential for achieving sustainable food security and reducing poverty in Africa. Innovative agricultural technologies offer potential towards improving agricultural productivity and contribute to economic development.

However, such innovative technologies as biotechnology, attract intense debate with regards to safety, trade and ethics as scientific facts are often mixed with social, ethical and political considerations.

These concerns have shifted discussions on biotechnology towards defensive debates between proponents and opponents of the technology a situation that fuels skewed information availability to the public in general and to decision makers in particular.

Objectives

• Establish a range of platforms that will raise the profile and use of biotechnology

• Forge strategic inter-institutional alliances & networking

• Contribute to informing policy decision making processes

• Enhance targeted capacity strengthening & communication

Aims of  OFAB 

OFAB was initiated in response to the need for better understanding of a range of products, benefits and concerns associated with biotechnology and for providing an opportunity to African agricultural scientists and experts to bring the benefit of their knowledge to bear on the finding of solutions to Africa’s development problems. It seeks to ensure that a critical mass of knowledge possessed by scientists is made available to policy makers and the public.

AIM –  To enhance knowledge-sharing and awareness on biotechnology that will raise understanding and appreciation of agricultural biotechnology and contribute to building an enabling environment for decision making

OFAB is expected to ensure that quality knowledge is disseminated to both policy makers and the larger public through provision of factual information