{"id":147941,"date":"2026-07-25T09:02:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T09:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/food-science-expert-urges-africa-to-dismantle-innovation-regulatory-barriers-to-unlock-bioeconomy-potential\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T09:02:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T09:02:59","slug":"food-science-expert-urges-africa-to-dismantle-innovation-regulatory-barriers-to-unlock-bioeconomy-potential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/food-science-expert-urges-africa-to-dismantle-innovation-regulatory-barriers-to-unlock-bioeconomy-potential\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Science expert urges Africa to dismantle innovation regulatory barriers to unlock bioeconomy potential"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 25 \u2014 Renowned food scientist and rural development expert Professor Ruth Oniang\u2019o has called on African governments to overhaul regulatory systems that she says are slowing innovation, delaying commercialization of new products and denying the continent much-needed jobs and investment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking on the sidelines of the final day of the BioInnovate Africa Making Ideas Investable Boot Camp at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Nairobi, Professor Ruth Oniang\u2019o warned that burdensome regulatory frameworks are stifling innovation across Africa and slowing the commercialization of homegrown bioeconomy solutions.<\/p>\n

She said innovators developing products ranging from organic fertilizers and medicines to cosmetics and food solutions are forced to spend years navigating regulatory processes that should take only a fraction of the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany times regulatory measures or the quest for them holds us back. Something that could have taken two or three years ends up taking like eight years, which is not necessary,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Oniang\u2019o urged governments, lawmakers and regulatory agencies across the continent to harmonize rules and streamline approval processes, noting that unnecessary bureaucracy is preventing promising innovations from reaching the market.<\/p>\n

She questioned why products moving between neighbouring East African countries continue to face lengthy regulatory hurdles despite regional integration efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you moved a product from Uganda to Kenya, it has to go through regulation. Yet at one time we were just one continent. What\u2019s the difference between Uganda and Kenya, or Tanzania and Kenya?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

The professor called on innovators to actively engage parliamentarians, policymakers and regulators to push for reforms that encourage innovation rather than hinder it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to spend more time lobbying our parliamentarians, lobbying our politicians and those who work on regulations so they understand the barriers these systems create,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Oniang\u2019o, a member of the BioInnovate Africa Programme Advisory Committee for more than five years, said Africa possesses immense untapped potential in the bioeconomy because of its rich natural resources.<\/p>\n

She noted that global demand for natural and organic products, including foods, herbal medicines, cosmetics and environmentally friendly agricultural inputs, is rising as consumers become increasingly conscious of health and sustainability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe medicines, the food, the fertilizers and cosmetics we produce from natural resources are what the world is increasingly looking for,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She encouraged African innovators to commercialize research and scientific discoveries instead of allowing ideas to remain in laboratories, saying innovation should be viewed as a pathway to wealth creation, environmental sustainability and job creation.<\/p>\n

Oniang\u2019o also challenged young Africans to become entrepreneurs rather than waiting for employment opportunities, arguing that innovation-driven businesses could transform economies across the continent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should stop complaining about being poor or saying there are no jobs. We should create those jobs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She further urged journalists to play a greater role in communicating scientific innovations to the public, saying science should be made more accessible so that citizens understand its value in solving everyday challenges.<\/p>\n

Highlighting Kenya\u2019s strong research ecosystem, she pointed to internationally recognised scientific institutions as evidence that the country is well positioned to become a continental hub for innovation.<\/p>\n

Expressing optimism about the future, Oniang\u2019o said Africa\u2019s young innovators have the potential to transform the continent into a global leader in the bioeconomy if governments create a policy environment that supports, rather than slows, innovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sky is the limit. I have hope in the young people that they will make things happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 25 \u2014 Renowned food scientist and rural development expert Professor Ruth Oniang\u2019o has called on African governments to overhaul regulatory systems that she says are slowing innovation, delaying commercialization of new products and denying the continent much-needed jobs and investment. Speaking on the sidelines of the final day of the BioInnovate Africa […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-147941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147941\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}