The DrumBeat: Africa Bioscience Trends

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30th June 2026

ISSUE NO.95

Knowledge for Informed Decisions

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the 95th issue of The DrumBeat - Africa Bioscience Trends

This month, we celebrate an important milestone with the launch of Biotech Africa, a new regional platform designed to improve access to credible agricultural biotechnology information and support informed decision-making by researchers, regulators, traders, investors, and policymakers across the continent.

In our Story of the Month, Dr. Daniel Ofosu, Country Coordinator of the Program for Biosafety Systems in Ghana, reflects on why access to reliable, centralized information matters for agricultural innovation in Africa and explores the potential of Biotech Africa to foster transparency, regional learning, and evidence-based decision-making.

Our Video of the Month features the remarkable journey behind KingaKUU cassava, the world's first genetically improved cassava to receive regulatory approval, showcasing Africa's growing leadership in agricultural biotechnology innovation.

In this issue, we also highlight the successful validation of One Health stakeholder net-mapping findings in Somalia, Malawi, and Zambia, culminating a 12-country effort to better understand stakeholder relationships and inform stronger, more coordinated One Health governance in Africa.

Beyond the continent, we examine two significant global developments: the European Parliament's approval of a new regulatory framework for plants developed through New Genomic Techniques and the upcoming meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity's scientific advisory body (SBSTTA-28), which will help shape discussions leading to CBD COP-17 in Armenia later this year.

As always, we remain committed to informing, inspiring, and connecting our readers with the latest developments in biosciences in Africa and beyond.

Happy reading!

VIDEO OF THE MONTH

Delivering World's 1st Genetically Improved Cassava; Africa Leading the Way

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Daniel Osei Ofosu, Ph.D.
Country Coordinator, Program for Biosafety Systems, Ghana

STORY OF THE MONTH

Strengthening agricultural innovation in Africa through access to biotech information

Have you ever searched for something and had to go through many cumbersome websites, only to come away with very limited information? That frustrating cycle of clicking, scanning, and second-guessing sources is all too familiar to most of us, whether you are a researcher, a regulator, in the private sector, or a general biotech stakeholder. It is also what trying to understand biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) crops can feel like for someone not in the field at all. Credible, up-to-date information is often scattered, difficult to interpret, and sometimes inaccessible to the very people who need it most. Read more

From Our Newsroom

From Mapping to Action: Somalia, Malawi, and Zambia Validate One Health Stakeholder Net-Mapping Findings

Stakeholders from Somalia, Malawi, and Zambia have validated the findings of country-specific One Health stakeholder net-mapping exercises conducted by ISAAA AfriCenter under the Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) project. The validation meetings, held between 18 and 23 June 2026, provided a platform for reviewing stakeholder relationships, refining recommendations, and identifying pathways to strengthen One Health governance and institutionalization across the three countries. Read more

European Parliament Gives Final Approval to New Genomic Techniques Regulation

The European Parliament has given final approval to a landmark regulation on plants developed through New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), marking one of the most significant changes to European biotechnology legislation in more than two decades. The new regulation establishes a dedicated framework for genome-edited plants and is expected to provide greater regulatory predictability, foster innovation, and create new opportunities for the development and commercialization of improved crop varieties. Read more

Biodiversity in Focus: Nairobi to Host Key Scientific Meeting Ahead of CBD COP-17

From 27 July to 1 August 2026, Nairobi will host the Twenty-eighth Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The meeting will bring together government representatives, scientists, technical experts, indigenous peoples and local communities, and observers from around the world to deliberate on some of the most pressing scientific and policy issues shaping global biodiversity governance. Read more