Nairobi, Kenya
March 31, 2005
Source:
All Africa via
Checkbiotech
Tanzania has joined Tunisia,
Zimbabwe, Egypt, Burkina Faso and Kenya in conducting confined
field trials (CFT) for genetically modified crops that will
eventually open its doors to genetically modified organisms
(GMOs).
A Cabinet paper on GMO policy has
already been prepared and parliament is scheduled to debate and
approve the approach towards GMO technologies mid this year,
according to Dr Jeremiah Haki, Director of Research at the
Ministry of Agricultural and Food Security.
Dr Haki says Tanzania, which largely depends on agriculture,
cannot afford to ignore technologies that increase crop yields
and profits and reduce farm costs.
Wilfred Ngirwa, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food Security, issued a statement two weeks ago
saying the ministry has, "Proactively participated in the
development of a national policy for biotechnology that will
soon be tabled in the parliament."
"This policy will give overall guidance on all issues related to
biotechnology including priority areas for research and
development, regulatory framework, sustainable use of
biodiversity and resource requirements."
Mr Ngirwa said in the interim period, the ministry has
established the Agricultural Biotechnology Scientific Advisory
Committee (ABSAC) to advise the minister on issues related to
GMOs including their importation, safe handling and testing.
Should there be an urgent need to import or test a GMO in this
country before the coming into force of the requisite
legislation, ABSAC may be called on to advise accordingly," said
Mr Ngirwa adding, "The ministry has however not yet decided on
the importation of genetically engineered crops for testing in
the country.
Tanzania will start confined field trials (CFT) in the south of
the country where cotton farming was stopped in 1968 in a
government move to halt the spread of the redball worm disease
that had hit the cotton crop. The project has been well received
by cotton farmers and depending on its outcome, GM cassava will
be introduced next.
The CFTs in southern Tanzania are good news for Members of
Parliament from the southern highlands, who have been calling on
the government to find alternative means of restarting cotton
production in the region.
South Africa is the only African country that is already
commercially producing GM crops.
Tanzania is among the countries that ratified the Cartagena
Protocol on biosafety, an international law negotiated under the
Convention on Biological Diversity that has basic requirements
for member countries to comply when pursuing GMO.
Dr Sivramiah Shanthu Shanth-aram, a Member of the WHO/FAO
Consultative Committee on Biotechnology-Food Safety, was in
Arusha, Tanzania in February for a seminar on GMO technology for
East African plant inspectors.
The seminar was attended by senior phytosanitary inspectors from
the Phytosanitary Services and Commission for Science and
Technology of Uganda's Ministry of Agriculture and from the
Kenya Plant Heath Services and Commission for Science and
Technology.
The objective of the workshop was to familiarise phytosanitary
inspectors with the principles and procedures of compliance and
inspection required for the execution of safe CFTs of GM crops,
as well as to enhance the participants' understanding of
concepts and issues associated with modern agrobiotechnology.
The Kenyan and Ugandan participants said they were impressed
with Tanzania's biosafety structure.
Dr Shantharam said the time was ripe for East Africa to start
GMO related experiments, saying Africa should start to benefit
from GMO technology, which has the potential of alleviating
hunger in Third World countries.
Dr Gratian Bamwenda, the director general of the Tropical
Pesticides Research Institute (TPRI), says his institution will
closely monitor the development and testing of genetically
engineered products and provide scientific advice concerning
their safety.
He said bio-safety review teams will assess the potential risks
associated with GMOs and evaluate the possibility of the risk
occurring and the magnitude of harm.
Currently many African countries lack laws requiring food
containers to have labels showing the scientific composition of
their ingredients and, as a result, there is no way that
consumers can know what they are really eating.
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