US, Brazil seek patent to Tanzania sorghum

There is growing trend where global firms are patenting African food crops like sorghum. Photo/LEONARD MAGOMBA

Tanzania is planning to move to court to stop the US and Brazilian governments, jointly with two multinational firms, from patenting a sorghum gene isolated from Tanzanian farms.

The strain of sorghum — a staple food in the country — has been proved to be acid-aluminium tolerant.