'Africa should warm to GM food'

2005-07-15 11:15

Nairobi - A leading international agricultural policy group on Thursday urged African nations to drop opposition to biotechnology crop research and genetically modified (GM) foods, saying such a step could dramatically improve food security on the impoverished continent.

Researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPR) said removing regulatory and legal hurdles to GM food and research fit perfectly with Africa's stated desires to feed its people and protect the environment.

Joel Cohen, a senior IFPR researcher, said across Africa "nations and farmers all alike are looking for ways to improve food security" and "African biotechnology can be one, but by no means only be part of the solution".

"But this may never be known if publicly developed biotechnology crops do not reach the farmers," he said in Nairobi.

No funds to advance GM research

"Most African countries, like many other poor countries cannot advance GM crop research because their national policies or regulatory systems are not prepared to deal with safety requirements for approving general use," Cohen said.

Many African nations, with some notable exceptions like South Africa and Burkina Faso, have stiff restrictions partially or totally banning biotech crop research and genetically modified foods that have been criticised by some as "Frankenfood".

But in a new study released on Thursday, the IFPR said research on 20 different crops in four African countries alone - Egypt, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe - showed that easing those regulations would improve the plants' resistance to disease and pests as well as boost food production.

The Washington-based group said as African nations improve their biosafety procedures they should be able to ease their restrictions to manage "potential risks associated with GM crops".

GM food's benefits not realised

"Unfortunately, most African countries lack the expertise, capacity, and funding to develop and comply with biosafety regulatory requirements and these deficiencies have become more pronounced," said Idah Sithole-Niang, a co-author of the study.

"As a result, GM (crops) remain out of the hands of farmers and their benefits go unrealised," she said.

None of the four countries surveyed in the study have approved biotech crops for commercial release and only two, Egypt and South Africa, currently have the capacity and resources to advance GM research.

Zimbabwe does not have a clear national GM policy and Kenya, where such research has recently begun, needs more resources to strengthen its biosafety review capacity, it said.

"Researchers in Africa need to work together to share information and expertise, and to dialogue with policymakers as to when, where, and if restrictive biosafety policies are needed," Cohen said.

- AFP