Speech by the Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor MP, at the 13th international symposium on the bio-safety of genetically modified organisms (ISBGMO13), Grand Westin hotel, Cape Town
Dr Morven McLean, President of the International Society for Biosafety Research,
Dr Hennie Groenewald, Local Organising Committee chair,
International visitors and Distinguished Guests,
A warm welcome to our international visitors, and to all South African participants.
GMO is a controversial topic, one of the most controversial in the world. For example, there are people, organisations, and countries that vehemently oppose GM crops, and there are others who see the benefits of GM crops, and want to develop more GM varieties. South Africa is also affected by the debates and controversy. We have our share of pro- and anti-GMO interest groups.
There are several biosafety issues that are often raised in local debates. Let me share a few.
First, there are regulation issues. Genetic engineering gives a few large multinational seed companies immense power, and this raises legitimate concerns about control and monitoring. It is essential for the public – as consumers or users – to know that the technology is adequately evaluated, regulated and managed.
Further, there are growing calls that if a GM-based product is commercially available, it should be clearly marked to allow consumers to make a choice. Of course, the detail is technical, but the broader public want to be assured that the processes involved are thorough, the expertise involved is appropriate, and the decisions are ultimately good for them.
In my view, then, what is required is a strong biosafety framework. In biosafety you are looking not only at potential environmental impact, but also at the impact on human and animal health.
And then, there is the process of engaging the public. This is not a simple process of disseminating information and assuming that it will be accepted or adopted. The public has a very broad range of interests, and the engagement process must allow for these different interests, different perspectives, and different values. This engagement should not only be about getting society discussing biosafety, but should also permit society to make representations to the regulators on specific GMO’s.
Second, there are trade issues. If a country does not have the legal framework to allow GMOs, it can refuse entry. If a country has a legal framework, it can legitimately refuse entry. And then there are the countries that lack the expertise and political will to implement.
So what is the situation in South Africa?
South Africa imports, uses, and exports GMOs.
We have more than 2.9 million hectares under GM crops – 86% of our maize, 92% of our soybean, and all of our cotton. Small and large farmers benefit.
We are the 8th largest adopter of GM crops in the world.
We not only apply biotechnology to crops but also in developing vaccines and drugs to help mitigate the disease burden we face.
And we are using biotech to prepare for climate change – drought tolerant varieties are being field-trialled as we speak.
At the same time South Africa is the third most biodiverse country in the world.
We guard and protect our biodiversity. Jealously.
We will not permit GMOs to threaten this biodiversity. Biodiversity is fundamental to our future sustainability.
Besides, we are an emerging economy, and we want our economy to grow sustainably, and we want everyone to benefit.
How do we do this?
Our biosafety framework - the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Act – was developed 16 years ago. The Act mandates a decision-making body - the Executive Council, which currently comprises 5 national government departments, plus the chair of the scientific advisory committee. The Act also mandates a process based on scientific principles – the Council receives a recommendation from the scientific advisory committee, but critically allows for strategic national issues to be considered.
Our Department of Environmental Affairs, for example, has the authority to require an environmental impact assessment should it consider it necessary. The Department of Trade and Industry considers trade and industrial development issues, our Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department the strategic value to agriculture, our Department of Health the alignment to health objectives.
Further, we require notification of any dangerous environmental emissions, and the public is given an opportunity to comment. The system is meant to be thorough: we have guidelines and standard operating procedures available on the web, and ultimately our process results in permits for field trial or general release. These permits are conditional, and can be withdrawn if new evidence of elevated risk or harm comes to light, or if there is a failure of the developer to adhere to the permit conditions.
Beyond this, we have a number of institutions that collectively support the robustness of our system.
We have the South African Biodiversity Institute, which is mandated by government to monitor GMO introductions.
We have a Centre of Excellence in Invasion Biology, the scope of which includes potential GMO invasions.
We have the Biosafety South Africa platform, which supports strategic biosafety research, and advises government, industry and academia on biosafety best practice.
We have the National Research Foundation and the Technology Innovation Agency that support biosafety research and biotechnology innovation.
And we have the Public Understanding of Biotechnology Programme, which promotes public awareness and understanding.
I like to think that South Africans can trust such a robust system.
We continue to engage with this rapidly developing field of inquiry, so that we are sensitive to new developments, so that our expertise is up to date, and so that our citizens continue to have confidence in our biosafety system.
Some newly developed biotechnologies offer greater precision in genetic engineering, and a reduced risk of predictable harm, and we may need to adapt our regulations for this.
Other technologies – particularly those in the synthetic biology domain - are expanding the power of biotechnology, and we need to evaluate how best to regulate them.
I hope it's clear by now, ladies and gentlemen, that South Africa is fully behind this conference. We not only engage with the latest technologies and technical biosafety issues, but we are also abreast of new developments.
We are also aware of the need to work more closely with rural communities, to support them in creating food security, and deriving positive benefits from scientific advances.
I thank you.
