The Role of Trust-Building in the Development of Biosafety Regulations in Kenya.

Agricultural biotechnology has the potential to address environmental challenges such as drought and pests1 and to contribute towards the reduction of malnutrition, hunger, and poverty in Africa. This potential may not be fully harnessed in the absence of biosafety legislation. For biotechnology to reach its potential there is need for African governments to put in place necessary regulatory regimes.

Building Trust: A Critical Component of Global Health.

Trust is a concept that we often take for granted. But as much as it serves as glue for human relationships, trust lies, albeit subtly or sometimes hidden, at the crux of all global health interventions and is critical to their success or failure. The recent Ebola pandemic in West Africa shows how distrust among the community, public health officials and government institutions can lead to a massive failure in the delivery of health care and response to a disease outbreak. Media articles and commentaries attributed the slow response to the Ebola crisis to a lack of trust on many levels in the government, health care systems, health care professionals, foreign health care providers, and political leaders. Generally, there have also been a recent decline of public trust in institutions of government, business, media and NGOs. A number of factors lead to distrust in public health, including leadership influence, lack of understanding of cultures, existing myths about health, lack of transparency, lack of accountability, and ineffective communicatio

What is trust? Perspectives from farmers and other experts in the field of agriculture.

Background Agricultural biotechnology public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been recognized as necessary for improving agricultural productivity and increasing food production in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there are issues of public trust uniquely associated with PPPs involved in the development of genetically modified (GM) crops. Insight into how trust is understood by agbiotech stakeholders is needed to be able to promote and improve trust among actors comprising agbiotech PPPs. This study aimed to explore how stakeholders from the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa understood the concept of trust in general as well as in the context of agbiotech PPPs. Methods Our data collection relied on sixty-one semi-structured, face-to-face interviews conducted with agbiotech stakeholders as part of a larger study investigating the role of trust in eight agbiotech projects across Africa. Interview transcripts were analyzed to create a narrative on how trust is understood by the study’s participants. Results Responses to the question “what is trust?” were diverse. However, across interviewees’ responses we identified six themes. In order to build and foster trust in a partnership, partners reported that one must practice integrity and honesty; deliver results in an accountable manner; be capable and competent; share the same objectives and interests; be transparent about actions and intentions through clear communication; and target services toward the interests of the public. Conclusions Participants reported that trust is either a very important factor or the most important factor in the making or breaking of success in agbiotech PPPs. The six themes that emerged from the interview data form a concept of trust. We thereby propose the following definition of trust in the context of agricultural biotechnology: an expectation held by an individual that the performance and behaviour of another will be supported by tangible results; facilitated by competency and transparency; grounded in a shared vision; and guided by integrity and an interest for the common good. This definition sheds light on important elements that agbiotech stakeholders believe should be present for trust to exist among members of agbiotech PPPs, for whom this definition can serve as a guide for building more effective partnerships

Resolving the gully erosion problem in Southeastern Nigeria: Innovation through public awareness and community-based approaches

The formation of gullies is one of the greatest environmental disasters in Southeastern Nigeria. Large areas of agricultural lands are lost or have become unsuitable for cultivation due to gully erosion. There have been numerous attempts to curb gully erosion in the region; especially through large-scale engineering projects, however, little has been discussed about ways to prevent their onset or the use of community-based low-technology approaches to mitigate their development. We reviewed pertinent literature, interviewed key stakeholders, observed gully erosion sites and had informal discussions with key experts in the field on the causes of gully erosion and community-based approaches in tackling the problem. Based on these discussions, interviews and observations, we showed that many eroding gullies in the region are human-induced and therefore can be prevented. The results also reveal that many of the causes of gully erosion can be traced to poor land management practices and to a lack of innovation and awareness measures. We conclude that community-based, low-technology land management practices and public awareness programs through workshops could halt the development of many gullies in the Southeastern region of Nigeria

To label or not to label: points to consider in balancing the risks, benefits and costs of mandatory GM labeling in Africa

There seems to be growing controversy among interest groups worldwide about whether genetically modified (GM) foods need to be labelled. There are also growing concerns, particularly among civil society groups, about the potential danger of GM foods, for which labels are being demanded. Particularly in Africa, the issue of labelling GM foods requires attention due to the rapid growth of agricultural biotechnology initiatives. Using Kenya as a case study, and based on interviews with key agricultural stakeholders and a review of the literature, we present five points to consider in discussions on how the need for mandatory GM labelling should be assessed. This framework encompasses, and is underpinned by, important considerations about ethics, consumer autonomy, costs, stigmatization, feasibility and food security as they pertain to agricultural biotechnology

Improving Communication in Agbiotech Projects: Moving Toward a Trust-centered Paradigm

Communication with end users about agricultural biotechnology does not necessarily lead to commensurate adoption of biotech crops. Agbiotech communication implies challenges like disagreement between proponents and opponents of genetically modified (GM) technology and media influence on public opinion, both of which can negatively impact public trust in, and thus adoption of, biotech crops. We argue that communication strategies for introducing biotech crops should focus on building and fostering trust between project partners developing biotech crops and the community they intend to serve to facilitate effective adoption of the crops. Strategies should include a combination of knowledge dissemination; early and continuous communication; provision of training; emphasis on end-user benefits; and transparency about agbiotech projects – all with the aim of building and fostering trust between partners of agbiotech projects and the community

Development and Implementation of a Reflective Writing Assignment for Undergraduate Students in a Large Public Health Biology Course

Reflective writing may be undervalued as purely expressive rather than a critical or an academic tool in undergraduate public health biology courses. When grounded in course concepts and academic learning, a reflective essay can be a learning tool for students that helps them use discipline knowledge and apply it to real-world issues. Studies on teaching reflection have identified its value for training students in critical thinking and improving self-regulated learning. Considering Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle framework, in this article, we detail the design, implementation, and evaluation of a reflective writing assignment integrated into a lower-year undergraduate public health biology course. Through the design and implementation of the reflective writing assignment, four key lessons are drawn. First, reflective writing assignments facilitate learning and course enjoyment. Second, writing workshops improve the quality of reflective writing assignments. Third, a detailed grading rubric clarifies expectations for students and creates consistency in grading. Fourth, reflective writing assignments can help teachers effectively evaluate how students apply the knowledge gained from the course to promote personal and community health. By implementing the reflective assignment, we have created a narrative on how reflective writing could maximize learning in public health pedagogy and provided recommendations and lessons for course designers and instructors to consider in light of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle framework

Unfulfilled farmer expectations: the case of the Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) project in Kenya

Background: Maize is the most important staple food in Kenya; any reduction in production and yield therefore often becomes a national food security concern. To address the challenge posed by the maize stem borer, the Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) agricultural biotechnology public-private partnership (PPP) project was launched in 1999. There were, however, pre-existing concerns regarding the use of genetic engineering in crop production and skepticism about private sector involvement. The purpose of this case study was to understand the role of trust in the IRMA partnership by identifying the challenges to, and practices for, building trust in the project. Methods: Data were collected by conducting face-to-face, semi-structured interviews; reviewing publicly available project documents; and direct observations. The data were analyzed to generate recurring and emergent themes on how trust is understood and built among the partners in the IRMA project and between the project and the community. Results: Clear and continued communication with stakeholders is of paramount importance to building trust, especially regarding competition among partners about project management positions; a lack of clarity on ownership of intellectual property rights (IPRs); and the influence of anti-genetic modification (GM) organizations. Awareness creation about IRMA’s anticipated products raised the end users’ expectations, which were unfulfilled due to failure to deliver Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-based products, thereby leading to diminished trust between the project and the community. Conclusions: Four key issues have been identified from the results of the study. First, the inability to deliver the intended products to the end user diminished stakeholders’ trust and interest in the project. Second, full and honest disclosure of information by partners when entering into project agreements is crucial to ensuring progress in a project. Third, engaging stakeholders and creating awareness immediately at the project’s inception contributes to trust building. Fourth, public sector goodwill combined with private sector technology and skills are necessary for a successful partnership. These findings may serve as a useful guide for building and fostering trust among partners in other agbiotech PPPs in sub-Saharan Africa

Implementation of the Meningitis Vaccine Project in Africa: lessons for vaccine implementation programs.

Background The Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) was an international partnership that began in 2010 and focused on the development, testing, licensure, and widespread introduction of a conjugate vaccine with the promise of protecting millions of lives from group A meningococcal meningitis. To bridge gaps upstream of vaccine administration and in understanding the project’s planning, delivery and outcomes, the primary objective of this study was to delineate the barriers to and facilitators of sustainable implementation in an upstream context of the delivery of the MenAfriVac vaccine and to draw critical lessons for other vaccination programs. Methods We conducted a qualitative study with key project partners and leaders who worked on the MVP project. The interviewees were initially identified through a literature review and a search of publications and evaluations of the project. Eighteen key stakeholders were interviewed. The interviewees included individuals in the roles of implementation oversight, champion, partner, funder, and frontline implementer. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) informed the identification of a priori codes for the directed content analysis. Results There were multiple barriers and facilitators to implementing the vaccine under all five domains of the CFIR framework, including intervention characteristics, outer setting, inner setting, characteristics of individuals, and process. The most common domains mentioned by stakeholders that facilitated the success of the MVP were inner setting and process; specifically, three constructs were most representative—Tension for Change, Formally Appointed Implementation Leaders, and External Change Agents. Conclusions The tension for change—that is, the degree to which stakeholders perceive the current situation as intolerable or needing change— advocated by African leaders served as a crucial foundation for solid leadership for the MPV. The leadership came in the form of the project director and other formally appointed leaders, who could plan, engage and execute the project’s goals effectively. This leadership translated into consistent messaging, information sharing, and multiple levels of engagement with external change agents (including technical experts), which promoted a shared sense of readiness contributing to significant change investments in implementing MVP