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The communication factor in African biotech crops
Editorial by Wynand J. van der Walt, PhD, Senior Partner, FoodNCropBio Consulting and Facilitation Services, Pretoria, South Africa; retired Manager of SANSOR; former member of the Board of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and of AfricaBio.

Genetic modification technologies (GM, GE, GI or rDNA) started in an innocuous way but their application soon ran into stormy waters. This planet is not what it used to be. The fact that pasteurization of milk took a hundred years to be commercially accepted offers little consolation in today’s fast moving technological world. Lousy communication strategies create a fertile breeding ground for activists and consumer concerns. 

South Africa was one of the early starters in genetically modified (GM) crops, commencing with Bt cotton trials in 1990, followed by commercial Bt cotton in 1997, Bt maize in 1998, and herbicide tolerant soybeans in 2000. The present GM share comprises 29 per cent of the commercial maize crop, 92 per cent of cotton and 59 per cent of soybeans. The initial biosafety guidelines of pre-1990, drafted by concerned scientists, served as foundation for the GMO Act of 1997.  This is probably the most comprehensive GMO legislation in the world, covering the spectrum of GM technologies on all organisms from registration of research facilities, to commercial production, imports and exports of products. Decisions are made by the GMO Executive Council comprised of officials from eight government departments, guided by a national scientific advisory committee and independent reviewers. Biosafety and procedural requirements have been strengthened every year.  

GM traits approved for commercial use include insect resistant cotton and maize, herbicide tolerant cotton, maize and soybeans, and stacked genes for both traits in cotton. Similar stacked genes in maize are in the process of approval. Both smallholder and commercial farmers have voted for the technology with their orders for GM seed. GM share of total maize doubled from 14.5 per cent in 2004 to 29.4 per cent in 2005 planting. Stacked genes in cotton were approved in September 2005 and immediately captured 40 per cent of the market. New GM crops under trial include drought tolerant soybeans, maize and peanuts; virus resistant sweet potatoes and maize; and insect resistant potatoes. Much of this comes from local research. Cutting edge research is being done in forestry and sugar cane.

South Africa remains the only country on the African continent that grows commercial GM crops. Kenya has started trials with GM maize and sweet potatoes, Burkina Faso is growing Bt cotton trials and Egypt has tested various GM crops. Other members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) retain a temporary anti-GM stance.

It remains difficult to understand why so many stakeholders and governments have not learned from experience of others and continue to miss the cue on the primary factor: communication.

  • The South African government has not played a leading role in SADC, despite having been alerted since 1998 to the fact that modern biotech crops will have trade implications. Little public communication was done until 2003 and then it focused on youngsters and the general public.

  • Anti-GM lobbyists have known that food scares sell well in some media but that the real target audiences are politicians in Parliament, where policies and laws are made. Very few scientists are visible in participating in dialogue with Parliamentarians. As a result, there is divided opinion amongst members of Parliament. Fortunately, a strong voice of reason came from the Minister for Agriculture, Mrs Thoko Didiza, ensuring that Parliament approved the GMO Amendment Bill on May 18.

  • Scientists do not share common views and most are not visible in debates or lobbying. Scientific and technical associations have as yet not come out with factual position statements on modern biotechnology. Everybody just seems to be too busy to get involved. AfricaBio remains the sole voice for biotech communication. Many biotech companies, local and multinational, prefer not to be too visible. Perhaps they do not realize that they are also the target for globalized activism.

  • Government does not speak with one voice, despite the consensus GMO decision making process. Environment tends to over-regulate precaution. Inadequate practical consultation takes place between senior government officials. A prime example is the Department of Trade & Industry that has just published a draft Consumer Protection Bill that includes extensive requirements for GM ingredients labeling, slipped in under an article dealing with hazardous substances, without having consulted with other departments on whose domain they encroached. 

  • SADC plans to move to a regional common market but most relevant laws have not yet been harmonized, including that for biosafety.  Apart from a few member states, Africa remains the only continent that stalls on adopting modern agricultural practices.

South Africa adopted a positive strategy on modern biotech in 2002 and provided some US$65 million start-up funding for regional biotech innovation centers. Despite this beautiful start, model legislation and GM crops, the country still falls short in meaningful, factual communication. The spill-over may be two-fold: ongoing tightening of regulatory systems without considering practical and cost implications that will stifle application of local technology, and sending mixed messages to neighboring states whose politicians are dithering.

Perhaps all of us should again be reminded of an old adage: “If we focus on doing what is urgent, we will forget to do what is important”.

Dr. van der Walt can be reached at wynandjvdw@telkomsa.net

June 2006

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