NATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY

AWARENESS STRATEGY

(BioAWARE-Kenya)

Experiences in Building a National Communications Strategy in Kenya

Margaret Karembu, PhD

Director, ISAAA AfriCenter

Validation of the National Communications and Public Awareness

Strategy and Plan of Peru , Lima, November 17th, 2009

Quote!

“Responsible

biotechnology

is not the

enemy, but

starvation is

the enemy.”

Norman E. Borlaug (Late)

1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

I S A A A

Presentation Outline

• Introduction to ISAAA

• Overview of BioAWARE

• Biotech Communications Landscape

• Elements of a Communication Strategy

• Experiences and lessons from Africa

• Challenges

• Way Forward

I S A A A This is ISAAA…

International Service for the

Acquisition of Agribiotech

Applications

Technology transfer

Enabling Policies

Biotech Communications

Knowledge-sharing

Process Documentation

I S A A A

The ISAAA Network Centers

AmeriCenter

AfriCenter

SEAsiaCenter

SEAsiaCenter

c/o IRRI

DAPO Box 7777

Metro Manila

Philippines

AmeriCenter,

Cornell

University, 417

Bradfield Hall,

Ithaca NY 14852,

USA AfriCenter

P.O. Box 70

00605, ILRI Campus

Nairobi, Kenya

ISAAA: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications

India Office

I S A A A

ISAAA’s Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology &

Network of Biotechnology Information Centers

Philippines

ISAAA’s Global KC

Indonesia

Malaysia

Brazil

China

India

Egypt

Kenya

South Africa

Thailand

Mali

Pakistan

Russia

Bulgaria

Sri Lanka

Spain

Italy Japan

Burkina Faso

Bangladesh

ISAAA AmeriCenter

Vietnam

Knowledge and Experience Sharing

Official Launch

September 25th 2008

by Minister for Agriculture

Hon. William Ruto on behalf of Agricultural Sector

Coordinating Unit (ASCU) and Stakeholders

Background

• Limited access to accurate and balanced information on biotechnology

- fictitious - distorted - sensational • Controversies over Biotechnology - Varying perceptions of benefits and risks - Public anxiety due to conflicting information - Unfamiliarity with the technology - Food and environmental safety concerns • Weak communication networking mechanisms

Why BioAWARE

• Support implementation of the National

Biotechnology Development Policy 2006; Biosafety

Act 2009

• Fulfillment of international obligations – Cartagena

Protocol on Biosafety (Article 26)

• Government’s acknowledged importance of

availability and access to accurate information on

biotechnology for informed decision-making

Vision, Mission & Mandate

• VISION A well-informed and knowledgeable society capable of

making decisions and choices on responsible use of biotechnology and its products

• MISSION To empower the Kenyan public to make informed

decisions on the use of biotechnology and its products through a participatory awareness creation process

• MANDATE To provide a framework within which strategies and

specific actions can be undertaken to promote awareness and understanding of the role of biotechnology in the country’s development agenda

Biotech Communications’

Landscape

Are you eating

science’s mistakes?

Fantasies, Myths, Fairy tales

......or Gene Foodor Gene Food??

Mutant FoodMutant Food......

Source: CropBiotech Net Collections

Fantasy

REALITY

Global trade in Biotech: Big Business!

Accumulated global

value for the 12-year

period since biotech

crops were first

commercialized

in 1996 ~ US$49.8

billion

2008: Estimated at

US$7.5 billion up from

US$6.9 billion in 2007

An “apparent” increase of 9.4% or 10.7 million hectares between 2007 and 2008,

equivalent to a “real” increase of 15% or 22 million “trait hectares”

Source: Clive James, 2009

GLOBAL AREA OF BIOTECH CROPS

Million Hectares (1996 to 2008)

25 Biotech Crop Countries

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Total Hectares

Industrial

Developing

“Trait Hectares”

13.3 million farmers

NETWORK OF OPINIONS

Miracle or

Monster ??

Varied perceptions on risks and benefits - Impacts on policy decisions!!!

Developing the Communication

Strategy: Key Questions

1. Purpose of communication (why)

2. Target audience (to who)

3. Message (what)

4. Means of message transmission (How)

5. Message conveyer (by who)

6. Feed back and follow up (P, M&E)

•Awareness

•Change attitudes and perceptions

•Influence practices

Define Target Stakeholder Groups

Mass media

Policy makers/Parliamentary select committees

Extension staff in relevant Ministries

Farmer Groups

Academia

Special interest groups – environmentalists, youth, consumers

Industry

I S A A A

Undertake Stakeholder Analysis

Policy Influence map

High Power-Low interest:

Keep satisfied

(List them)

High Power-High Interest: engage closely and influence

actively for policy change

(List them)

Low Interest-low power:

Monitor, minimum effort here

High interest-Low power:

keep them informed, can lobby

for change! Make them patrons,

champions for the proposed

policy change (List them)

Interest

Pow

er

Low

High

High

High

I S A A A

Where do Majority Stakeholders get information on biotech?

Ranked in importance (in East Africa)

1. Mass media – electronic & print (radio highly effective)

2. Special interest groups – NGOs, industry

3. Special media – brochures, newsletters

4. Experts – Low

5. Internet – Very low

Yet internet has been rated very highly in influencing policy!

I S A A A

Key element in an effective outreach and

communications strategy

• Trusted and Credible communicators

• Content - Credible information sources

• Communication Tools – Multi-media

- Messenger

- Message

- Means

I S A A A

Effective Biotech Communications Africa experiences and lessons learnt

1. Media-Scientists Linkages

Lesson 1: Build capacity and invest in good relations with credible journalists for increased and balanced reporting

•Training in:

Science communication

Reporting biotechnology

Risk communication

2. Scientific live shows

Lesson 2: Demystify biotechnology issues by exposing stakeholders to biotech processes & products

3. Study tours - traveling workshops

Lesson 3: Invest in seeing-is-believing study tours to enhance appreciation of research efforts & confidence with local expertise

Stakeholders visit Bt cotton Confined Field Trials in Kenya

Farmer-to-farmer

visits to S. Africa, Burkina

Members of

Parliament,

Journalists,

Farmer

leaders

visit

biotech

facilities in

the country

4. Parliamentarians and Scientists Workshops

Lesson 4: Politicians are very strong opinion shapers. Scientists and parliamentarians must engage!

5. Regular (monthly) stakeholder dialogue

Lesson 5. Interpersonal communication very effective in building

trust and strengthening inter-institutional networking

Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology – OFAB

2-hour session every last Thursday of the month: scientists,

specialists, policy makers and the media have a platform to

network and share knowledge

6. Simplified educational materials (IECs)

Newsletters – BiotekAfrica, Crop Biotech

Topical Newsbriefs, Brochures

Pocket Ks – Localised/translated

Message Maps – Key areas of interest

Calendar – Biotech info & education

Pocket Ks (Local

languages)

Lesson 6: Improve stakeholders understanding of biotech/biosafety issues and trends with simple, localized IEC materials

Modern biotech and

biosafety facilities

exist in KARI, ILRI

and Kenyatta

UniversityAlmost all the public

universities have

established

biotechnology centres

and institutions

Kenya biotech and

biosafety experts

have been trained in

the best universities

and laboratories

worldwide

Kenyan institutions

doing GM research

are collaborating with

renown public and

private research

institutions

worldwide

Data on research

conducted by WHO, OECD,

FAO and other bodies in

modern biotech and

biosafety is available on

the internet

The University of Nairobi has

established a laboratory for detecting GMOs with the

support of UNEP-GEF

FACT 1:

Adequate capacity

exists within the

regulatory agencies to

supervise GM research

FACT 3:

Kenya has adequate

scientific capacity for

modern biotech R and D

Regulatory agencies can

use capacity available in

universities and research

institutions

Key regulatory institutions

including KEPHIS, KEBS,

DVS and NEMA have human

capacity and laboratories to

test GM crops and products

The NCST is the national

focal point on modern

biotech in Kenya with

access to global information FACT 2:

Scientific data is

available globally to

make decisions on

modern biotech

research

Real need to improve agriculture sector Different Options

Some tools in

agriculture

Organic

farming

Indigenous knowledge Plant

breeding

Biotechnology Variety

selection

Sustainable

resource

management Integrated

pest

management

Conservation

tillage

Note: Biotechnology provides tools; NOT a SYSTEM and will not

replace traditional agriculture

Way forward - Provide Choices!

Remember - Numerous Examples!

Genetic Modification via Selection and Breeding

Source:

Chassy, 2007

The changing face of maize

Teosinte Modern maize

No zero risk

in biology!

Thank you Asante!

www.isaaa.org/kc