"We, as the country's leading university in the fields of agricultural research and science related to agriculture, have already applied to the government so that our university can be one of the three centers of excellence established by the government to conduct biotechnology research so that we can help the country determine the truth about the technology by in detail so that it can help the country", said Prof. Chibunda

He has said that Tanzania and other African countries' lack of progress in using this technology is due to their lack of understanding and the threatening statements of some people who oppose the situation. This led Tanzania to impose strict laws and regulations that bind the hands of its researchers to fully participate in using it and bring about the development of Tanzanians and the nation in dealing with the challenges they face.

"It is the request of the scientists that the time has come for our countries in Africa and Tanzania to look again at how we can participate in this technology as we have been told by our colleagues in Belgium that the countries of the United States, China, India but we have also seen European countries although they do not cultivate many products resulting from genetic engineering technology, they are big users because they import from the countries that cultivate and use them for the benefit of their countries", said Prof. Chibunda

He added, "Therefore, my call and our university will be at the forefront to see that in starting and doing research so that we can see that even if we say there are harms, then let's make those harms manifest through the work that has been done by our own people instead of relying on words to be told or relying on researches which are done outside our environment”.

Initially giving his presentation, Prof. Marc Heidje from the Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) of Belgium said that following the large increase in the world's population, the reduction of agricultural areas due to settlements, climate change, and the great need for food to feed the people in many countries around the world they use that technology and help increase production and productivity in agriculture.

"This technology is not a silver bullet to solve all agricultural challenges, but it is a good technology that facilitates the production of seeds by obtaining the required characteristics quickly compared to conventional methods and no one has ever given evidence and proven that he has obtained them from using crops derived from technology that", said Prof. Marc.

He added, "There are many myths that frighten people that European countries do not grow or eat crops derived from genetic engineering technology, but let me prove to you that in Belgium we grow and import these crops in large quantities from countries that cultivate and many European countries grow and import crops in large quantities that for human and animal food".

This year's meeting of the Association of Crop Scientists in Tanzania (CROSAT) started with a scientific meeting with the slogan "Addressing climate change using crop production technologies" followed by the Annual General Meeting which has brought together stakeholders from inside and outside Tanzania.