Biotechnology Trust Africa (BTA)
Biotechnology Trust Africa (BTA) is a non-profit making charitable body that sets out to tackle poverty and food insecurity by promoting and facilitating biotechnology research and development in Africa with other stakeholders and development partners.
Vision
Biotechnology Trust Africa
strives to enhance the livelihoods of the resource poor people in Africa
through biotechnology.
To improve the socio-economic status of the resource poor in Africa through the development and application of biotechnology in agriculture, health, industry, environmental management and biopolicy.
Establish and strengthen BTA as an organ for biotechnology research and development in Africa.
Specific
Objectives
a) Promote
and facilitate biotechnology research and development in agriculture, health,
industry and environmental management in Africa.
b) Encourage
the development of policies in biotechnology.
c) Build
and enhance capacity in biotechnology in Africa.
d) Liaise
with other biotechnology organizations/networks to create awareness in
biotechnology for Africa.
e) Establish
and maintain an information and documentation service on biotechnology in
Africa.
f)
Establish mechanisms for information and
technology transfer in biotechnology in Africa.
g) Establish
and administer a fund to support biotechnology activities in Africa.
BTA employs the demand oriented Interactive Bottom Up Approach, which begins with end users, the ultimate beneficiaries of the relevant technology.
Sectors of concern: BTA
lays emphasis on agriculture, health services, environmental protection,
industry and biopolicy.
a) Development
of drought tolerant and insect pest resistant maize varieties by using marker
assisted breeding being implemented by KARI Katumani.
b) Evaluation
and Promotion of Bacillus Thurengiensis (Bt) based
biopesticides using microbiology technology at the Department of Biochemistry,
University of Nairobi for resource poor farmers.
c) Mass
propagation of clean planting of Citrus through Tissue Culture for resource
poor farmers in Kenya by the Department of Crop Science at the University of
Nairobi.
d) Mass
propagation of clean planting banana material through tissue culture by the
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja.
e) Development
of protocol for mass propagation of macadamia through Tissue Culture by the
National Horticultural Research Centre – Thika.
f)
Mass propagation of Irish Potato through Tissue
Culture by the National Potato Research Centre – Tigoni.
g) The
development and evaluation of rapid tests and vaccines of prioritized livestock
diseases using rDNA technology by the Biotechnology Centre, NARL – Kabete.
h) Mass
propagation of cassava and sweet potato through tissue culture by KARI –
Kakamega.
i)
Support Activities on farmer participation in
Technology Development and Transfer by BTA.
1. Project
development process – articulation of end user participation in project
proposals.
2. Participatory
research - farmers’ knowledge and
experience are recognized and respected.
3. Project
Financial Management depicting transparency and good governance.
· State-of the-art laboratories for marker
assisted breeding in maize.
·
A fully operational laboratory
for microbiology.
·
Establishment of a tissue lab for macadamia.
·
Establishment, commercialization and strengthening of
the tissue culture lab for citrus.
· Establishment of Tissue Culture laboratory
at RRC, Kari, Kakamega.
· Establishment of banana orchard on drip irrigation.
· Strengthening
of the Tissue Culture laboratory, KARI, Tigoni.
· Strengthening
of rDNA laboratory for animal health work.
Biopolicy
Sector-
· BTA
facilitated the drafting and development of mechanisms for implementing the
guidelines. It is now assessing needs and priorities for IPR in the Eastern and
Southern African region.
African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum
(ABSF), International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotec Application
(ISAAA), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture (JKUAT), Kenya Agricultural
Research Institute (KARI), Kenya Industrial Property Office (KIPO), Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, National Council for Science and Technology
(NCST), University of Nairobi (UoN), NGOs/CBOs with branches in pilot
districts, Farm Africa, BIOEARN, Winrock International, NAPRECA, ASARECA,
Wegenigen University, Tuskegee University, AfricaBio, ISNAR, Biotechnology
Trust of Zimbabwe (BTZ).
Future outlook
·
Establishment of broadening the support base for biotechnology
activities in Africa
·
Setting up of a focal point on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
issues and biotechnology to collect, collate, document IPR issues and share
this with other partners in the East and Southern Africa region.
THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
1. Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is the decision and policy making body of the Trust in line with the Trust Deed. It meets biannually and is drawn from stakeholders in biotechnology in the African region.
2. Management Board
There is a Management Board reporting to the Board of Trustees and responsible for the programmes and financial management.
3. The Secretariat
The Executive Director, appointed by the Board, heads and manages the Secretariat on behalf of the Board. The Executive Director also serves as Secretary to the Board. Currently, the organization has qualified and experienced staff. The staff is empowered to work independently in their various lines of duties. Structures for inter staff consultations are also in place.
4. Country Sector
Committees
Members are drawn from stakeholders representing relevant sectors from
the respective member
countries in Africa. Each sector committee reporting to the management
committee develops its own
terms of reference (ToRs) for ratification by the Board of Trustees.