224 CONCLUSION


raise awareness in terms of the potential impact of the introduction of GM crop technologies. There are a few other studies published on this topic for the region, and


they confirm this result. Kimenju and De Groote (2008) analyzed GM maize acceptance in Kenya and show that awareness of biotechnology is lim- ited in Kenya, especially in rural areas. All consumers are willing to buy GM maize at the same price as non-GM maize, even if there are some concerns. Environmental concerns are found only among urban consumers. In their study of Bt cowpeas in Benin, Niger, and Nigeria, Gbègbèlègbè et al. (2009) found that rural consumers, who tend to be farmers, would be willing to pay more for Bt cowpeas than for the non-GM varieties. In contrast, urban con- sumers are less willing to buy GM cowpeas. In South Africa, a study run by the Ministry of Science and Technology on consumers’ perceptions of biotechnol- ogy found that 75 percent of the respondents were uninformed about biotech- nology (Durham 2009). A relevant side issue to the policy debate in African countries south of the


Sahara in the literature is the possible potential disconnect between consumer perceptions and the local food industry, which may lead to conflicts between these groups, highlighting the need for improved knowledge-exchange chan- nels. Bett, Okuro Ouma, and de Groote (2010) clearly illustrate the latter point in their study of Kenyan gatekeepers’ perspectives, noting that these compa- nies would benefit if they were informed about the results of consumer surveys. They also provide evidence of the disconnect between consumers and the local industry. Kenyan gatekeepers (millers and supermarkets) are found to be more skeptical than consumers are on the possible use of GM food. Most would pre- fer assessing GM food on a case-by-case basis before purchasing or selling these products. For some of the larger commercial actors, this perception may be related to the great reluctance of buyers abroad regarding the use of GM food. For instance, Gruère and Sengupta (2009) found that GM-free private standards set up by large importing companies in European and other developed countries do influence traders’ decisions and indirectly some policy decisions about bio- technology in eastern and southern African countries. Gruère and Takeshima (2012) provide an economic analysis explaining why importing companies can indeed affect views of decisionmakers in Africa.


Outlook for the Future


These conclusions confirm that GM crops have a significant role to play in agri- culture development in African countries south of the Sahara. But the nature


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