Table 3 Information about the benefits of WEMA

From: Differentiating GM technologies: South African consumer perceptions of water efficient maize for Africa

“The Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) partnership was launched in March 2008 to help farmers manage the risk of drought by developing and deploying genetically modified (GM) maize varieties that yield 24 to 35 percent more grain under moderate drought conditions than currently available varieties.

Unlike other GM events, such as those targeting pest resistance (Bt) or herbicide tolerance (Roundup), the WEMA GM event focuses on yield stability during drought conditions. Widespread adoption of WEMA across South Africa could be a significant step forward in the fight against food shortages that plague smallholder farmers and consumers during droughts in South Africa.”

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