Connect with us

Business

Gene editing could solve food security, experts say

Published

on

The growth in population is a clear indication that the availability of enough food today and in days to come would need a different agricultural approach. In fact, researchers say the situation is even more worrying in Africa as the continent continues to use the same number of resources in agriculture, despite data projections that the current population could double by 2050.

As a result, researchers are recommending the use of farming technologies that can double agricultural production. According to Dr Leena Tripathi who is the leader of the biotechnology program at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), an increase in population means an increase in demand for food and calls for better agricultural production.

“With increasing demands for food and limited resources we need better and more efficient ways to produce food and using all the tools and also the breeding innovation and including gene editing,” she said.

 

Recycling of seeds likely to cost farmers in Machakos as drought prolongs
Farmers in Machakos depend on the previous harvests to get seeds for the next planting season and most of them cannot afford to buy seeds.

 

Dr Tripathi who is also the Director of the Eastern Africa hub was speaking during a webinar organized by The African Seed Trade Association for the seed sector in the continent last week. Apart from the increasing population, she also said climate change is intensifying food security not only in Africa but globally.

“We already started seeing some harmful effects due to the extreme climate not only on the planet but also the pathogens and pests affecting the crop productivity. So that means there is a need for sustainable agriculture,” Dr Tripathi said.

She further challenged farmers to critically consider closing the yield gap in staple crops like maize, bananas, and rice by applying the full potential of New Breeding Tools (NBT) in addition to conventional technologies like irrigation.

One of the NBTs that researchers have shown to record improvement in crops is Genome editing, a group of technologies that gives scientists the ability to make permanent and heritable changes but at very specific sites in the genome of the organism without bringing any foreign gene.

Some of the technologies available include meganuclease, ZFN, TALEN, and CRISPR/Cas9 which researchers describe as efficient in the essence that they only make specific changes to the DNA.

Even though CRISPR/Cas9 remains the most popular technique because it is very simple and easy to adapt, scientists say that this does not render other techniques obsolete.

While speaking in the same webinar Dr. James Karanja who works at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) as a maize breeder said gene editing is not going to make the respective countries lose their seed sovereignty. This he said is because of the availability and existence of gene banks with the mandates of conserving each and every genotype available.

“This system of technology is a tool to hasten the development capacity to get that new variety and again also with this by scanning through you can be able to get a total immune unlike where you get the tolerance,” he said.
At the same time, Karanja said Kenya already has the tool and guidelines supporting gene editing but no gene-edited product available in the market yet. However, said there are a lot of products in the pipeline like maize, and sorghum which will come to the market very soon.

Kenya is the first country in Africa that started applying gene-editing technology in 2015. This was two years after gene editing was discovered with India, the Philippines, Japan, and China being the first countries.

 

The edition that celebrates mothers!
Radio Citizen presenter Jeridah Andayi graces our May cover with her three children as we celebrate mothers all month long! Even with her busy schedule and the many hats that she wears, her role as a mother is the one she cherishes most.

 

Featured image: Getty Images

Continue Reading

Books and Films

Paramount Outbids Netflix in Bid War in ‘Hostile Takeover’

Published

on

Paramount Skydance, simply known as Paramount, raises $108.4 billion, which is $25.7 billion more than what Netflix, in the WBD bid war. All this is to be paid in cash.

Even though Netflix is involved in a bidding war with two other networks, Warner Bros. Discovery has an obligation to choose the best deal of all.

The Warner Bros. Discovery Race

Netflix, which is already a giant in the industry, is making waves as entertainment bodies and the public are critical of how much power the potential purchase of WBD would confer.


Still, it is anyone’s game. Netflix can leverage a higher amount than Paramount, Skydance, or Comcast. Or the other bidders can overtake the two finalists totally.


Unlike Netflix, Paramount is offering directly to shareholders, while Netflix took a different approach and appealed to the WBD board of directors.

Paramount Skydance vs. Netflix 

Paramount took this hostile approach after being rejected at first. This comeback outshines Netflix’s offer of $27.75 per share by an increment of $2.25, which puts Paramount at $30 per share.


It is a tricky decision for Warner Bros., as choosing Paramount over Netflix will incur the company a $2.8 billion breakup fee, which can be easily covered from the gross cash earnings from Paramount Skydance’s bid.

No more cinema?

The competitive bid did not move Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, and he is extremely confident that his company’s 82$ billion deal will take. Netflix is revered as the No. 1 streaming service worldwide; if HBO (which is 3rd in that order) becomes one of its assets, what does that mean for entertainment as a whole?


Paramount CEO David Ellison stated that it would be bad for business. He pointed out the Hollywood movie industry as we know it. On the WBD-Netflix deal, Ellison had this to say:

It’s bad for the consumer, it’s bad for the creative community… We’re sitting here trying to save it”

Find more content like this and much more on our WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaeJgVo89inf3IhwHT2t

Continue Reading

Business

Keeping Girls in Class, One Dance Step at a Time: the Change For Girls Initiative

Published

on

One conversation, one dance and one safe space at a time, the lives of girls are being transformed. The Change for Girls Initiative, founded by Lillian Nkonge in March 2024, is on a mission to keep more girls in school by addressing the social, mental, and economic challenges that often lead them to drop out. The initiative is particularly focused on girls from under-resourced and rural areas, and it aims to support 300 girls through school by 2028 by creating safe, girl-centered spaces and sustainable solutions to education access.

On Saturday, 26th July 2025, the initiative brought its impactful Dance 2 Educate program to Materi Girls High School in Tharaka-Nithi County. This unique mentorship event took a creative approach, using dance, fitness, and storytelling to open up conversations around mental health and self-esteem. The goal was simple but powerful: to give the girls a space where they felt seen, heard, and free to express what they’re going through.

Models from Materi Girls

The session was guided by school alumni, peer counsellors, the school’s guidance counsellor, and mental health advocates who also doubled as the dancers. These advocates were brought in through key partners including Jamii Vibes, Dance Klan, Brachuze Dance Agency, Katika Dance Fitness, and many others, whose presence brought both energy and emotional safety. Their relatability made it easier for the students to connect.

After an energetic fitness and dance session, the girls broke into small groups where they were encouraged to talk openly about their emotional well-being. Many spoke courageously about struggles they had been silently carrying, ranging from pressure to perform, to stress, anxiety, and family-related challenges. What stood out was the strength in vulnerability, and how safe, creative environments can unlock deeply personal, often unspoken experiences.

The initiative’s founder, Lillian Nkonge, is a woman of many hats one of them being, a policy and programming expert in sexual and reproductive health across Africa. Her vision for Change for Girls was inspired by years of working with youth in community and health spaces, witnessing the complex barriers that prevent girls from reaching their full potential.

Lillian Konge, Founder CFG

Since launching the initiative in 2024, she and her team have hosted the Dance 2 educate mentorship programs in Greenland Girls Highschool in Kajiado and now in Materi Girls in Tharaka-Nithi, with the next public event scheduled to take place at Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi on 8th August 2025. (For more information on this, click HERE

Parents Africa was proud to be part of this transformative event. As a platform that cares deeply about the wellness of families and youth, we joined the initiative to amplify the voices of girls and to add a parental perspective to the conversation. Our presence allowed us to document the day and highlight the power of mentorship, community, and safe spaces in promoting youth wellness and resilience.

Change for Girls is more than just a nonprofit, it is a growing movement rooted in empathy, lived experience, and actionable hope. By combining mentorship, creativity, and meaningful engagement, the initiative is giving girls the tools they need not just to survive school, but to thrive.

 

Continue Reading

Business

Creating an entrepreneurial ‘Boss Baby’

Published

on

Imagine your child not just dreaming big, but also taking steps towards turning those dreams into reality. In a world where innovation drives success, raising entrepreneurial kids isn’t just about teaching business skills- it’s about nurturing creativity, resilience and a fearless approach to challenges.

Parents hold the power to inspire and guide our children to think boldly, act confidently, and carve out their unique paths. This journey begins at home, where curiosity meets opportunity. But what can you incorporate to achieve this?

Utilize family game nights

Turn your regular game nights into a business boot camp! Board games like Monopoly can teach kids about resource management, investment and strategic planning. Make the games both competitive and rewarding to keep their interest piqued. You can even create your own family business challenges, where kids pitch ideas, develop business plans and present their concepts for a small prize. 

Business basics

Introduce children to the basics of business by encouraging them to set up their own little enterprise, like a lemonade stand.

You should let them handle the planning; from choosing the perfect spot to pricing their product and marketing it to the neighbors. 

This simple business venture teaches them the fundamentals of business management, budgeting and customer service which is a must-have in the current business world.

Allowance 

Instead of a regular allowance, consider giving your children a “salary” for chores, complete with opportunities for bonuses based on performance and “overtime” for extra tasks. 

This approach not only makes household chores more engaging but also introduces concepts like work ethic, money management and responsibility.

Discuss budgeting, saving and the basics of investing with their earnings to deepen their financial understanding.

Business matters, why?

Teaching business skills at home is about more than just future-proofing your kids’ careers; it builds confidence, nurtures creativity and promotes problem-solving. 

It prepares them to think critically, make informed decisions while understanding the value of hard work. 

By nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset in your children, you are not just preparing them for a successful career-you’re equipping them with life skills that will serve them in every aspect of their journey. As you guide them along this path remember that the seeds you plant today will grow into the innovators, leaders and changemakers of tomorrow.

So, roll up your sleeves, get creative and watch as your home turns into a thriving hub of budding entrepreneurs. 

Who knows? The next big idea might just come from your living room!

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2017 Zox News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by WordPress.