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AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

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Research Manager Livestock Production. ARC LNR. 3. The Mandate of the ARC ... this mandate requires the ARC to peruse a variety of technologies in the quest ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL


1
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
  • Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on
    Agriculture and Land Affairs
  • Public hearings on the GMO Amendment Bill
  • January 17th 2006

2
The Team
  • Mr. F. Guma
  • Group Executive Horticulture
  • Dr. P. Lukhele-Olorunju
  • Group Executive - Grain and Industrial Crops
  • Dr. A. Magadlela
  • Research Manager Livestock Production

3
The Mandate of the ARC
  • The ARC was established in terms of the
    Agricultural Research Council Act (Act No 86 of
    1990) and bears the statutory mandate to
  • Conduct research,
  • Develop technology, and
  • Transfer technology that promotes agriculture and
    the agricultural industry.
  • The ARC forms part of the National System of
    Innovation and receives core strategic funds for
    the purposes of the execution of this mandate
    through Parliament.

4
The Mandate of the ARC
  • The execution of this mandate requires the ARC
    to peruse a variety of technologies in the quest
    to ensure food security and the creation of
    employment generated by the agricultural sector
    in an environmentally sustainable manner.
  • Biotechnology and genetic engineering are but
    part of the arsenal of technologies utilised by
    our researchers in pursuing this goal.

5
The Productivity Challenge
  • The continuing growth in the human population
    combined with the limits of the availability of
    productive agricultural land requires an increase
    in the output/unit area of such agricultural
    land.
  • Gains commensurate to this challenge achieved
    through classical breeding techniques, and allied
    advances in plant/animal management, are no
    longer up to this pace, and require the
    establishment of technologies that can reduce the
    duration of this developmental cycle.
  • The nature of the biologically governed system of
    agriculture, leads to the system becoming open to
    the vagaries of mutations/unintended
    consequences, as a result of the pressures being
    applied.

6
Biotechnology
  • The ARC accepts the following broad definition
    of biotechnology as being
  • Biotechnology is a body of techniques that uses
    biological systems, living organisms, or
    derivatives thereof, to make or modify products
    or processes for specific use.
  • The ARC recognizes and applies all iterations
    and generations of technology in this field, in
    its development of products that are of benefit
    to the people of South Africa.

7
Genetic Engineering
  • In our understanding
  • The term genetic engineering encompasses a range
    of techniques aimed at the identification of
    genes that trigger certain physiological
    responses within living organisms, and the
    development of processes through which these
    codes can be transferred to other living
    organisms.
  • Living organisms created from such a process are
    known as Genetically Modified Organisms GMOs,
    and represent an unknown threat to society
    because their genetic constitution is the result
    of direct human intervention in previously
    unfathomed processes of the natural order.

8
Genetic Engineering - Concerns
  • Major concerns with respect to this technology
    are related to the following
  • Food safety with particular reference to the
    potential effects of the disruption of the
    natural order of the way in which foods are
    made available to consumers.
  • Environment - can these products evolve into
    super weeds that can grow out of control,
    and threaten the existing biodiversity of
    the countries into which they have been
    introduced into.

9
ARC Opinions GMO Debate
  1. The business of science and the subsequent
    development of the products of that science into
    technologies that enter the public domain, needs
    to be attenuated by a regulatory process that
    takes public concerns into account.
  2. The nature of regulatory process that is
    applicable to these situations has to be based on
    models of best practice applied within the
    international community and shown to be void of
    influence arising from other interests.
  3. The urgency of meeting the challenges of
    increases in agricultural productivity/output in
    areas where the practice of agriculture is the
    only means of existence and/or opportunity for a
    better life, should not be denigrated.

10
ARC Opinions GMO Debate
  1. In the context of the operations of the ARC,
    biotechnology is essentially a tool to be used in
    the manipulation of plants, animals and other
    life forms in order to achieve a desired product
    or process. The recognition of biotechnology as a
    tool is essential to the ethic and rationale with
    which publicly funded bodies like the ARC should
    approach the use of biotechnology in the delivery
    of its founding mandates.
  2. The ARC adheres to all the regulations of the GMO
    Act and has established a good working
    relationship with the office of the Registrar.
    All laboratories conducting any research governed
    by the Act are registered with the Department and
    permits to conduct any research are applied for
    according to specific regulations. Several
    personnel of the ARC serve as scientific advisors
    to the Registrar.
  3. 3. As a state funded science based institution
    with a mandate for the application of science and
    technology to address the challenges faced by
    agriculture, the ARC cannot ignore the
    opportunities afforded by biotechnology to
    resolve some of these challenges, nor can it
    shirk its duty to be at the forefront of ensuring
    the application of best practice in assessing the
    health and biosafety risks of this new technology.

11
ARC Opinions GMO Debate
  1. The ARC has been involved in the development and
    testing of GM products. All field testing of
    these products have been conducted under permits
    issued by the Registrar of the GMO Act. These
    have included strawberries and potatoes that have
    been developed by the ARC as well as other crops
    such as maize and tomatoes from commercial
    companies or other research institutions tested
    under contract.
  2. The ARC wishes to embark on a sustained
    contribution to the IFSN Programme through
    acceleration of cultivar development with
    emphasis to significant resistance to pests and
    diseases and drought accelerate the development
    of indigenous vegetables to higher levels of
    productivity and initiate the process of
    biofortification of staple crops to improve
    nutrient availability levels eg. Sorghum, maize,
    wheat, sweet potatoes. Post-harvest losses could
    also be addressed through this technology.
  3. On the livestock side, the ARC would like to
    invent and manufacture new vaccines unique to
    Southern Africa, improve indigenous livestock
    breeds, perform immuno-diagnostics to detect
    multiple pathogens.

12
ARC Opinion Amendments - GMO BILL
  1. The ARC will have to comply with regulations on
    transboundry movement of GMOs.
  2. Research on public goods and 2nd economy may be
    complicated due to the framework of liability
    ARC may not be equipped or insured to take
    responsibility for the outcome of their research.
  3. International exchange of experimental GMO
    materials among scientists is complicated by the
    regulations, and may cause a burden on research
    activities.
  4. Effort has to be made to support research
    institutions to comply with the new regulations
    training of researchers and technicians and new
    infrastructures are imperatives for the ARC.
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