PRESENTATION TO PARLIAMENT: AMENDMENTS TO GMO ACT

1
PRESENTATION TO PARLIAMENT AMENDMENTS TO GMO ACT

• Mariam Mayet
• African Centre for Biosafety

2
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

• Welcome the opportunities
• Amendments will not change status quo a
  permitting system to approve the use of GMOs in
  SA, without placing clear obligations as to
  safety and liability on the biotech industry,
  while continuing to lock the public out of the
  process

3
KEY SUBMISSIONS

• Underlying values
• COMMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS
• Obligations on Applicant
• Powers and Duties of Council
• Liability and redress
• Public Participation (-)

4
UNDERLYING VALUES

• Power, control and profit vs biosafety
  (fundamental rights)
• Regulation behind closed doors vs transparency
• Research in the public interest vs experimental
  dumping grounds

5
UNDERLYING VALUES

• Permitting system to say yes, or robust
  biosafety laws
• Integrity of food supply including non-GM seeds
  and food

6
OBLIGATIONS TO BE PLACED ON BIOTECH COMPANIES

• New language needed which requires evidence of
  safety to human health, biodiversity and
  environment
• Mandatory EIA before permits granted for
  commercial growing at expense of industry
• Assumption of liability for adverse impacts to
  human health and environment
• Zero tolerance for unapproved GMOs

7
POWERS AND DUTIES OF COUNCIL-WHAT IS MISSING

• Decision making based on Precautionary Principle
• Decisions for commercial releases based on
  EIAs-cure flaws in Biodiversity Act

• Mandatory periodic socio-economic studies
• Decisions based on mandatory public participation
• Review of Decisions criteria to be developed

8
LIABILITY AND REDRESS

1. Clarity who is liable-exclude consumer and
   end-user
2. If farmer to be liable, liability should be
   strict-fault based is not suitable for GMOs where
   unforeseen/unanticipated damage may arise
3. Clear unambiguous provisions that place liability
   on biotech industry such as Monsanto, Syngenta
4. Will liability stymie RD? No proof of this.
   BIOSAFETY cannot be sacrificed

9
PUBLIC PARTICIPATON NOT EXISTENT

• Public input-notice and comment procedures in
  regulations hopelessly inadequate
• Public outside of system-regulatory system
  shrouded in secrecy still
• Urgent calls for mechanisms for real and
  meaningful
• public participation

10
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION