Ethics Showdown Over GM Seed Focus on Africa

by Anthony Stoppard

However, the expected benefits of biotechnology will only become a reality if these technologies are relevant to Africa, are pro-poor and are handled with caution.

This is among the findings of a report -- "Harnessing Technologies for Sustainable Development" -- released last week by the Addis Ababa-based UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

At the same time, farmers from South Africa and Indian have marched on the WSSD to demand the right to grow genetically modified crops. The farmers say they believe increased agricultural productivity will help reduce rural poverty and environmental stress -- because the pest resistant crops will need less of the chemicals and fertilizers that harm the environment.

The ECA report points out that recent advances in biotechnology offer crops that have greater yields, resist pests and diseases and offer nutritional, health and environmental benefits. It notes that Africa depends heavily on agriculture, which contributes 30 percent to the continent's gross domestic product (GDP) and provides 70 percent of its jobs.

As a result, any technology that increases the production of food and minimizes the exploitation of marginal lands and forests can benefit the continent.

While the report tries to focus on what African farmers can gain from the technology, it admits that the current focus on biotechnology research is on crops and diseases that are prevalent in developed countries.

It also concedes that most African countries are presently not equipped to deal with the potential risk the technology could pose to human and animal health and the environment.

However, it insists that African countries must ensure that biotechnology initiatives can be used to alleviate poverty, combat disease and improve food security. Specifically, they should try to ensure biotechnology research begins to look at African crops and health problems and establish national regulatory institutions to assess and manage the risks association with the technology.

The report cites cases where genetically modified crops have succeed in Africa, including South Africa which is producing modified maize and cotton; Kenya which is growing modified sweet potatoes; and Egypt, which is cultivating modified maize, faba beans and cotton.

Ironically, South Africa's first crop of genetically modified white maize -- Africa's staple food -- was harvested just before the WSSD started and will be made available for human consumption.

Most African governments have resisted accepting genetically modified crops -- including those that are facing widespread famine. There are also a number of non-governmental organizations at the summit who are campaigning hard against the use of genetically modified organisms.

BioWatch South Africa -- a non-governmental organization -- warns that the use of genetically modified crops will make small African farmers dependent on expensive seeds and chemicals developed by large international companies.

They believe that -- especially small farmers -- will struggle to cope with the costs of growing genetically modified crops, and many will become bankrupt if they even lose one harvest. Organic -- unmodified crops -- can often be replaced with naturally occurring seeds at little or no cost to the farmer.

BioWatch also warns that naturally occurring seeds are genetically diverse and they all cannot be wiped out by a single disease. However, if all farmers in an area use the same type of seed, all their crops could fall prey to the same affliction.

There are also concerns that the long-term safety of genetically modified crops has not yet been proved. Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia are among the African countries that have been very wary about accepting any genetically modified foodstuffs because of health concerns.

More worrying to African farmers is the fact that many European Union (EU) countries are refusing to accept genetically modified products. There is concern that if genetically modified organisms become widespread in African countries, the EU -- for many their largest market -- will refuse to accept their products.

Genetically modified crops are at the centre of many environmental and trade disputes at the WSSD, and the summit is not likely to reach agreement on how to handle them.

The trade disputes are likely to be referred to the World Trade Organization (WTO) for further negotiations, while the environmental debate is set to continue long after the WSSD.