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This
report summarizes the impact assessment of Phase II
programme on the three BIO-EARN Partner Institutions in
Tanzania
, namely Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI),
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (DMBB)
of the University
of Dar es salaam and Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology
(COSTECH).
The programme’s main objective fits well to the
country’s National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of
Poverty (NSGRP) and the country’s Development Vision
2025.
During
Phase II, the Programme did train 4 Tanzanians (1 female)
to PhD level and 1 to Licentiate level (a female) in the
fields of biotechnology and bio-safety in the
agricultural, industrial and environmental sectors. Such
training did not only change the employment status of
these individuals and improved the critical mass of
scientists competent to undertake independent research in
these fields, but also increased the country’s capacity
or potential to use the gained knowledge to address
biotechnology and bio-safety challenges and opportunities.
Knowledge
acquired and results obtained from some research projects
undertaken have been demanded by the public and the
private sectors for field application. For example some
private and public sectors have shown some interest to go
into partnership to produce biogas from agro-industrial
solid wastes and mass propagate disease free coffee plants
through tissue culture. About 22 scientific papers were
published or submitted for publications from the five
research projects and majority of these papers (16) were
on biotechnology while the rest (6) were on bio-safety.
The
programme improved the biotechnology laboratories and IT
network of the three BIO-EARN Partner institutions. With
improved infrastructure, this contributed to the
improvement of the overall working condition, attracted
more collaborating institutions and made staff accessible
to the current scientific publications through the
Internet.
During
the implementation of the programme:
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A
National Biotechnology Advisory Committee was created
as the 9th R&D Committee under COSTECH
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A
Biotechnology Professional Association was
established
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A
draft of a National Biotechnology Policy was prepared
and submitted to the Government for approval.
The
programme also to some extent contributed to the
formulation of the National Bio-safety Framework and
National Bio-safety Guidelines, which were approved by the
Government in 2004.
BIO-EARN
organized workshops on IP policy and Access to Genetic
Resources did lead to some R&D Institutions in
Tanzania
developing their own Institutional IPR policies. Joint
student supervision and joint paper publication between
Swedish and Tanzanian Academic/Research Institutions also
strengthened the much-advocated south–north
collaboration.
As
a recommendation to the Government, for smooth
implementation and effective coordination and control of
biotechnology developments and bio-safety frameworks
within the country, there is need to accommodate or host
the two National Advisory Committees on Biotechnology and
Bio-safety in one Ministry and specifically under COSTECH
which seems to have the capacity and the mandate to
coordinate science and technology issues in the country.
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