Bracing for GM Crops The Status of Regulations for GM crops in African Countries Today

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Bracing for GM CropsThe Status of Regulations
for GM crops in African Countries Today

• By
• Francis Nangayo, Ph.D.
• AATF, Nairobi, Kenya

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Outline

• Modern Biotechnology mixed signals
• Proponents and opponents of GM crops
• Significance of Regulations
• Historical reference to CBD and the Protocol
• Contracting Parties to the Protocol
• Components of National Biosafety Framework
• Status of NBFs in Africa
• Concluding remarks

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Biotechnology mixed signals!

• The advent of modern biotechnology and especially
  its potential for application in medicine,
  agriculture, food processing, manufacturing and
  environmental management was greeted with
  breathtaking expectations.
• The development and application of biotechnology
  in a safe and sustainable manner remains a
  subject of considerable debate worldwide.
• Concerns, anxiety and fears have been raised
  about safety and ethical aspects of genetically
  modified organisms to consumers and the
  environment.

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Voices on Biotechnology

• In 2002, US President George Bush accused the
  European Union of blocking efforts to fight
  famine in Africa because of "unfounded and
  unscientific " fears over genetically modified
  foods.

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The Twentieth century will be biological and
diverse with biotechnology being the kingpin of
the process
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President Levy Mwanawasa's government cited
health and environmental risks for its refusal of
the grain and said it would not allow Zambians to
be used as guinea pigs just because of the
hungerChance Kabaghe, deputy agriculture
minister, said We still feel that the country
is not ready to accept genetically modified foods
without proper research on its effects"
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Prince of Wales Described GM food as
Frankenstein FoodThe use of GMOs has the
potential to offer real benefits in agricultural
practice, food quality, nutrition and health, and
we support on-going research in this fieldThe
Royal Society, UK
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Other Voices

• GM food could 'set Africa free' Democratic
  Republic of Congo ambassador Bene Moko said a
  country unable to feed its people will never be
  free. "Biotechnology could help Africa rid itself
  of poverty and famine for good."
• Angola Bans GM foodGilberto Buta
  Lutucuta,minister of agriculture and rural
  development, told the Angolan Press Agency that
  the food was rejected "because so far we don't
  know for sure what impact these products might
  have on either human or animal health."
  Furthermore, Angola has a complete lack of GM
  regulatory systems - there is no national
  biosafety framework and no legislation concerning
  GM products.

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Varied Positions GM technology

• The need for regulating GM technology and any
  other technologies cannot be over-emphasised
• Biosafety is now a weighty issue that cannot be
  wished away
• Forming national agenda of many countries
• There are good reasons why GM technology aught to
  be regulated!

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Regulations Compliance

• IMAGINE!!!!
• The Flow of Traffic in a country
• with roads without traffic signs or traffic
  police
• where drunk driving is not a crime
• where vehicles have no MOT, nor insurance
• where drivers and passengers change roles freely
• with no traffic laws nor regulations
• how will traffic flow be?

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CHAOS!!!!
Often, disaster strikes, necessitating
formulation of regulations!
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Historical references on GM Regulation

• Asilomar Conference in February 1975 set in
  motion the first scientific need for evaluation
  of genetically modified organisms
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Articles 8(g) of the Convention obligate
  contracting parties to develop national biosafety
  systems
• Article 19(3) . set out appropriate procedures
  in the field of safe transfer, handling and use
  of living modified organisms resulting from
  biotechnology that may have adverse effect on
  conservation and sustainable use of biological
  diversity.

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Contracting Parties Convention on Biological
Diversity
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Historical references on GM Regulation

• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• The Protocol is about contributing to ensuring
  an adequate level of protection in the safe
  transfer, handling and use of LMOs resulting from
  modern biotechnology that may have adverse
  effects on biological diversity, taking also into
  account human health

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Contracting Parties to Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety
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Historical references on GM Regulation

• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• Article 2 (1) Each Party shall take necessary
  and appropriate legal, administrative and other
  measures to implement its obligations
• Developing functional National Biosafety
  Frameworks comprising of
• Policy framework on biotechnology
• Legislation on biosafety
• Administrative system for handling applications
  and issuance of permits
• Mechanism for public participation in biosafety
  decision making process

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Status of NBFs in SSA

• four categories countries
• countries with fully-functional NBFs,
• countries with interim NBFs
• countries whose NBF is work-in-progress
• countries with little progress on NBFs.

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Status of GM regulations
Fully functional National Bio-safety Frameworks
Interim National Bio-safety Frameworks
Work in progress
No significant progress
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Concluding Remarks

• Africa is vast! Over 50 nation states with
  varying national priorities making the countries
  to proceed at different speeds
• Having signed and ratified the CBD, a number of
  countries have already put their acts together
• However developing NBFs in quite a number of
  African countries remains work-in-progress

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Concluding Remarks

• Exemplary cases worthy of note
• Burkina Faso
• Kenya
• It is NOT enough to sign international
  conventions or even enact biosafety laws. This is
  only a necessary first step
• Just as important is carrying the process through
  regulations and guidelines, administrative
  streamlining etc

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Thank you for your attention