South Africa To Further Increase GM Plantings
21 February 2006 A South African product manager for a US GM company in South Africa reports that about 8,000 commercial and about 2.4 million subsistence farmers in South Africa currently plant GM corn and will continue to do so.
A Modern Regulatory Framework
South African biotechnology regulatory matters are discussed and decided by an Executive Council with representatives from eight departments, reports the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS). An Advisory Committee consisting of experts from around the nation carry out risk analysis on biotech products and give their recommendations to the Council for the final approval of any biotech product.
However, recently there have been some public objections from anti-GM lobby groups. These groups are demanding unscientific information from the GMO Registrar’s office of the National Department of Agriculture and have effectively slowed the process for new approvals.
South Africa is expected to play a vital role as other countries in Africa develop biotechnology policies because it has the most resources, such as scientific expertise and financial support, as well as a progressive regulatory system. Without the South African government’s leadership role in this region, the progress in agricultural biotechnology, or for that matter any technology, can be stifled by anti-technology groups.
Internet Resources
For more on biotechnology in South Africa, USDA-FAS provides the following list of web sites.
AfricaBio: www.africabio.com
Asian Development bank: www.adb.org
Agbiotechnet: www.agbiotechnet.com
South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement: www.fest.org.za
Department of Science and Technology: www.dst.gov.za
Agricultural Research Council: www.arc.agric.za
Public Understanding of Biotechnology: www.pub.ac.za
Southern Africa Development Community: www.sadc.inc
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications: www.isaa.org
Focus on the Global South: www.focusweb.org
Intermediate Technology Development Group: www.itdg.org
South Center: www.southcenter.org
Third World Network: www.twnside.org.sg/bio.htm
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