HavAfric will work to fight hunger, malnutrition, and food waste in Africa using the CRISPR gene editing technology, its founders have announced. HavAfric is a mission-driven seed company working to develop and supply climate-smart seeds, produced using CRISPR gene editing technology in Africa.
Joseph Opoku Gakpo, an agricultural scientist, and Dr. Samuel Acheampong, a plant molecular biologist, founded the company. Dr. Acheampong is the first Ghanaian scientist to undertake CRISPR gene editing work. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, an MPhil in Biotechnology, and a BSc in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology from the University of Cape Coast – Ghana, where he currently serves as a lecturer. He also holds a Masters degree in Plant Breeding from North Carolina State University, USA, and is a 2016 Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural Research and Development Scholar, Michigan State University, USA. Mr. Gakpo previously worked as an agricultural development and communications consultant, providing services to various international development organizations operating in Africa. He holds a BSc in Agricultural Biotechnology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and is completing his Ph.D. in Agricultural Education & Human Sciences at the North Carolina State University, USA.
“Africa is the most food-insecure continent in the world,” Gakpo observed. While about 20% of the population in Africa faces hunger and malnutrition, only 9% of the population in Asia does, about 9% in Latin America and the Caribbean, 6% in the Oceania region, and less than 3% in Northern America and Europe, according to data from the Food and Agricultural Organization. “This is an indication that Africa’s situation is particularly dire and something drastic has to be done about it. HavAfric will work to help deal with these challenges using the CRISPR gene editing technology,” he said.
CRISPR is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise modifications to plant genetic materials to improve crops. The CRISPR system relies on simpler crop improvement techniques, which can be done in laboratories in Ghana and Africa. Most importantly, the CRISPR system enables the improvement of crops without the introduction of foreign genes. This makes CRISPR food products more friendly to farmers, consumers, and the environment.
You can read more about HavAfric here; https://havafric.com/
By Communications Department, HavAfric