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By Christophe Uwizeyimana
Misinformation and disinformation are emerging as critical barriers to Africa’s adoption of innovative biosciences, slowing progress in addressing urgent agricultural and health challenges. This concern dominated discussions at the 6th Africa Biennial Biosciences Communication (ABBC) Symposium, held on 28 August 2025 in Lusaka, Zambia, where experts warned that unchecked falsehoods risk undermining public trust, delaying innovation, and eroding the benefits of science-led solutions.
The symposium underscored the disruptive power of misinformation. Delegates noted that while science offers solutions to food insecurity, health crises, and climate resilience, inaccurate narratives continue to stall public acceptance. The World Economic Forum recently ranked disinformation as the world’s second most significant risk—after extreme weather.
AATF Calls for Deliberate Action
Speaking during a high-level panel, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), emphasized the need for proactive communication to safeguard scientific progress.
“As scientists, we have a role in ensuring our work is not destroyed by those who do not understand science. Let’s protect our innovations that have the potential to uplift livelihoods,” Dr. Kanangire said.
He highlighted AATF’s initiatives through the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), implemented in partnership with ISAAA AfriCenter and other organizations. These programmes—such as Seeing is Believing and Eating is Believing—have strengthened media capacity, trained communicators, and provided policymakers, farmers, and the public with evidence-based insights on biotechnology.
However, Dr. Kanangire also cautioned that communication strategies must be culturally and contextually sensitive.
“Effective communication requires understanding Africa’s social and religious practices, ensuring that technologies are developed and deployed in ways that improve livelihoods,” he noted.
Governance and Collaboration
Other experts stressed the importance of regulatory frameworks and regional cooperation. Dr. Shirley Tarawali, Assistant Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), praised Kenya’s Biosafety Act as a model for safe biotechnology deployment. She also pointed to global collaborations, such as genomic training programmes in Asia and Africa, that are strengthening scientific preparedness.
Dr. Moses Alobo of Science Africa urged greater efforts to move research from laboratories into practical applications.
“Building capacity for Africa, by Africa, and for Africa is critical if we are to deploy innovations successfully,” he said, referencing the Grand Challenges Africa programme, which has supported over 4,000 fellows and 330 scientists across 35 countries.
ABBC as a Platform for Solutions
According to Dr. Margaret Karembu, Director of ISAAA AfriCenter and ABBC Convenor, ABBC’s strength lies in its inclusivity, convening policymakers, researchers, the private sector, and community leaders.
“Collaboration is our greatest tool in unlocking the benefits of science while ensuring misinformation does not derail Africa’s development journey,” she said.
This year’s symposium highlighted biosciences as central to One Health and sustainable food systems, with a particular focus on youth engagement, capacity building, and evidence-based science communication.
Lessons from the Health Sector
Beyond agriculture, misinformation also affects health. In a session chaired by Prof. Curtis Youngs of Iowa State University, panelists reflected on the costs of misinformation in disease control.
- Dr. Theo Knight-Jones (ILRI) warned that misinformation around Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines undermines decision-making, stressing that “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
- Dr. Sikhulile Moyo (Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership) drew parallels with the Covid-19 pandemic, where misinterpretations around the Omicron variant triggered unnecessary global travel bans.
Moving Forward
The ABBC discussions reflected a clear consensus: for Africa to harness the transformative potential of biotechnology in agriculture and health, there must be simultaneous investment in regulation, capacity building, and communication.
As Dr. Kanangire of AATF noted, safeguarding innovation from misinformation is not optional but essential:
“We must ensure science-led solutions are not silenced, but embraced, for the prosperity of African communities.”
#InternationalYouthDay #YouthInAgriTech #AATF #FutureOfFarming #ProsperityThroughTechnology #ScalingForImpact
Photos:
Photo:Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of AATF, joined a high-level panel moderated by Dr. Barbara Zawedde, Director of Research at Uganda’s Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MUZARDI), alongside co-panelists Dr. Shirley Tarawali, Assistant Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and Dr. Moses Alobo of Science Africa, in Lusaka, Zambia, August 2025.
