I have never understood why Africans still harbor xenophobic tendencies
towards genetically modified foods. To most Africans, benefits of
genetically modified foods is exaggerated and not worth any
consideration. What they don't know is that Americans and Europeans,
who apparently they loathe, readily eat these foods. They make billions
of dollars from trade involving them. The elites in Africa,
unfortunately, have not done much to educate the lay people about the
potential benefits of genetically food. So, blind opposition to
genetically modified food continues, to the detriment of the masses.

I am making this post because of some events that are currently
unfolding in South Africa. There, Dr. Florence Wambugu, an icon of
modern agricultural biotechnology, has received a grant of US$400
million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop
genetically modified sorghum. As a start, Dr. Wambugu would like to set
up a state-of-the-art laboratory to research on GM sorghum, but the
South African government has told her NO. To justify its actions, the
government has expressed fears that genetically modified sorghum might
contaminate indigenous sorghum varieties.