If we develop Africa’s bioeconomy it will be as transformative for us as digital has been

Author:
Calestous Juma and Sujata Bhatia

The late 20th century was a period of unprecedented advancement in information and communications technology. The rapid adoption of mobile phones in Africa laid the groundwork for a digital economy.

According to a new study by the Stockholm Environment Institute, Creating Sustainable Bioeconomies: The Bioscience Revolution in Europe and Africa, new opportunities for economic transformation are already being built on Africa’s abundant biological resources. The emerging bioeconomy has the potential to transform primary production, especially in agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, health and industry.

The key enabler of the digital economy was advances physics and engineering. The drivers for the new bioeconomy are advances in genetics, biology, ecology, information technology, and engineering.

The article's full-text is available here.

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