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Biofortified sorghum in Africa: using problem formulation to inform risk assessment

Nature Biotechnology volume 28, pages 900–903 (2010)Cite this article

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To the Editor:

Most of the genetically modified (GM) crops approved to date (e.g., corn, cotton and soybean improved for insect resistance or herbicide tolerance) do not have compatible wild relatives near their intended area of cultivation, and those that do are not being cultivated in the center of diversity of the species. However, many GM crops being developed to solve agronomic or nutritional problems in developing countries may be grown near centers of origin and diversity of the crop, where these plants were first domesticated and remain major crops1. Furthermore, they are often being developed by publicly funded, nonprofit institutions2. Such developers, and the regulatory authorities that oversee them, often have relatively limited experience and resources for risk assessment and are faced with some of the first decisions regarding risks associated with gene flow in centers of diversity.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the Program for Biosafety Systems, Africa Harvest, and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center for financial and logistical support to bring together the individuals whose discussion led to this paper, and J. Pedersen and S. deVilliers for their significant contributions during the discussion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticultural Sciences, Program for Biosafety Systems, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

    Karen E Hokanson

  2. Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, California, USA

    Norman C Ellstrand

  3. Institut de l'Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

    Jeremy T Ouedraogo

  4. Kenya National Assembly, Nairobi, Kenya

    Patrick A Olweny

  5. Department of Biology, Washington University, Missouri, St. Louis, USA

    Barbara A Schaal

  6. Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire, UK

    Alan F Raybould

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  1. Karen E Hokanson
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Correspondence to Karen E Hokanson.

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Hokanson, K., Ellstrand, N., Ouedraogo, J. et al. Biofortified sorghum in Africa: using problem formulation to inform risk assessment. Nat Biotechnol 28, 900–903 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0910-900

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