In sub-Saharan Africa,nearly 70% of the population live in rural areas,and they depend on agriculture for their livelihood.However,the adoption of sustainable agricultural technology has been slower than in other parts of the world.In addition,the low agricultural productivity of sub-Saharan Africa makes the region a net importer of food.Agricultural biotechnology can be used as a tool for increasing agricultural productivity,while also offering significant opportunities for attaining food security and poverty alleviation.So far,only South Africa,Burkina Faso and Sudan are planting genetically modified (GM) crops at a commercial scale.Many African countries have developed,or are in the process of developing,regulatory frameworks for modern biotechnology application,and close to 9 countries are conducting confined field tests of GM crops with farmer-preferred and consumer-oriented traits.This paper reviews the status of GM crop adoption in sub-Saharan Africa,with a focus on the research,development and use of GM crops.Two countries from each regional block of Southern Africa (South Africa and Malawi),East Africa (Kenya and Uganda),and West Africa (Ghana and Burkina Faso)-are reviewed.Regulations governing the use of GM crops and adoption issues,and recommendations on the way forward-are made for each of these six countries.