Nairobi, Kenya
February 18, 2009
by David Njagi, SciDev.Net
Kenya has become the fourth
African country to allow the production and use of genetically
modified (GM) crops after president Mwai Kibaki signed off on
parliament's approval of new biosafety legislation last week (13
February).
The Biosafety Bill 2008 sees the East African nation join
Burkina Faso, Egypt and South Africa as African nations which
permit genetically modified farming, following years of
fine-tuning to the proposed regulations and mechanisms to
monitor and regulate GM technology, and protect farmers and
consumers (see Kenya prepares to approve biosafety legislation).
A National Biosafety Authority will now be created, under the
National Council for Science and Technology, to implement the
legislation and to follow priorities as stated in the National
Biotechnology Development Policy passed in 2006 (see Kenya
approves a national policy on biotechnology), Margaret Karembu,
director of the Kenya-based African centre of the International
Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
(ISAAA), told SciDev.Net.
She adds that the new legislation will fast-track the Water
Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project to develop
drought-resistant maize, which had stalled due to the lack of a
legislative framework.
Charles Watoro, director of Kenya Agricultural Research
Institute (KARI) says a lot of agricultural research has been
delayed due to several postponements in passing the legislation.
The new law will allow open field trials in several locations,
removing previous restrictions and speeding up agricultural
improvements, he says.
"But we need implementation of this law very fast," he adds.
Watoro says KARI researchers are working on cotton, maize,
cassava, sweet potatoes and sorghum genetically modified to
resist common pests.
Meanwhile, an international survey of 13 years of genetically
modified agriculture up until 2008, released in Nairobi in the
same week (11 February) by ISAAA, says there is substantial
evidence that crops genetically modified to withstand drought,
salt, insects and diseases are safe for human consumption.
ISAAA founder Clive James said at a press conference in Nairobi
(12 February) that biotechnology delivers food that is as safe
as those produced through conventional agriculture. "This
technology is regulated more heavily than any other,'' said
James.
James applauded the ratification of the Biosafety Bill by the
Kenyan president, saying the process indicated mature leadership
responding to the food crisis, which has been declared a
national disaster.
He added that ISAAA is interested in helping developing
countries like Kenya with the decision-making process but that
ultimately it is up to the individual countries to make
decisions on biotechnology. |
|
