Atoms4Food: Prepping Africa for consumerism

• “Nuclearized” agriculture has potential to improve Africa’s food security • Atoms4Food will not realize its potential due to skepticism and fear • Lack of agency will make Africa a consumer of nuclear technology Africa is experiencing widespread food insecurity and various technologies have been promoted as solutions. One such initiative is Atoms4Food, which aims to use nuclear technologies to improve food security. However, such technologies are not peculiar to Africa. The question that arises is whether “nuclearized” agricultural technologies should be promoted on the African continent. This is due to the skepticism that the continent has on manipulated foods, missed opportunities or the deliberate exclusion of earlier technologies, debates about the sustainability of food production, and gatekeeping of nuclear-based technologies. Rather than offering Africa any active and agency potential, these factors perpetuate the continent's consumerism, in this case, of nuclear technologies and their benefits. This perspective article concludes by emphasizing that unless there is clear communication about the benefits of “nuclearized” foods, augmentation with earlier technologies and sustainability initiatives, as well as active decision-making in the use of nuclear technologies, then the continent is being marinated for consumerism.