GM Cassava – Serene’s Synopsis 81
Cassava, a root starch grown by low-income farmers, was Africa’s fifth GM crop to be approved for cultivation in fields. This GM Cassava, line 4046, was granted approval in Kenya because it is less susceptible to CBSD, or cassava brown streak disease, which is partially responsible for the destruction of up to 98% of cassava harvests for Kenyan farmers. The disease causes corky necrosis in the plants’ roots, which makes them inedible without compromising their appearance to farmers before harvest, so time and resources are spent cultivating the crops even though they have already been infected. All cuttings of diseased plants are affected, but the virus is also spread by whiteflies, meaning it can be transmitted across farms. CBSD is credited for compromising East African harvests, as they are roughly five times smaller than those in Asia and South America.
Line 4046 “has the potential to prevent 90 percent of crop damage,” which would be monumental for the developing country. Poor farmers are especially reliant on cassava, as it can be grown efficiently without expensive tools and costly investments to scale up production, and is extremely land-efficient in the amount of carbohydrates it produces. Scientists have claimed that this GM variety will be offered at a similar price to natural cassava, which would offer a solution to farmers at a price they can afford.
Increased yields would be extremely beneficial for farmers, but they would also enable Kenya to tap into several markets from a unique direction. Both the cassava tuber and leaves are nutritionally valuable, and if the plant can be grown efficiently, it can be used to produce starch and animal feed. The GM version of the crop was not found to pose any threat to food or environmental health or side effects regarding plant characteristics. Its approval lasts for five years, during which field trials can be conducted to further test its transgenic enhancements and effect on human and environmental safety.
It’s interesting that cassava is such a prominent plant in Africa, yet I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of it. However, I have heard of its starch, tapioca. Perhaps the massive growth in the popularity of boba might give GM cassava an additional boost in demand, although I don’t know if CBSD is an issue where tapioca is commercially produced. According to Wikipedia, it’s the most important carbohydrate source in the tropics behind maize and rice, which mean a disease-resistant strain would have a profound impact. I hope to hear more about it in the future, but I haven’t been able to find an update on 4046 after 2022. Of course, science and policy take time.
You may have noticed that there has been a minor change to the site: Serene’s Synopsis now includes two categories: climate change and genetic engineering. Until now, I tried to keep the spotlight on climate change, because that’s what inspired me to start the website to begin with, but I’m adding biotechnology to the arsenal because it is so interesting to me and has the potential to positively influence countless lives. Additionally, I plan to be a genetic engineer, and I am really benefitting from doing research in my field. Hope you enjoyed this week’s article, and stay tuned to learn with me!
https://allianceforscience.org/blog/2021/06/kenya-approves-disease-resistant-gmo-cassava/