The Department of Science and Technology (DST) through the PlantBio Trust, one of its Biotechnology Innovation Centres (BICs) will launch the Biosafety South Africa platform that has been established to support innovation in biotechnology by ensuring the development of safe and sustainable biotechnological products.
Biosafety relates to the avoidance of risk to human and animal health, safety and prosperity and to the environment, when researching, developing and commercialising the products of modern biotechnology. Safety and the sustainability of biotechnological products are of great importance and should therefore be considered and ensured throughout the course of their development and deployment.
Having local professional biosafety experts, in the form of Biosafety South Africa, will benefit both the developers and regulators of the technology.
The aspects of biosafety of Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) that must be considered are the safety of food and animal feed; food-related risks; environmental safety and socio-economic factors.
Sharing his thoughts on the subject ahead of the launch, Mr Derek Hanekom, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology said, “The field of biological diversity, which is essentially the focus of biosafety, is a wide and complex one and touches on issues as diverse as international law, trans-boundary agreements, the Antarctic Treaty System, hazardous wastes, international justice, persistent organic pollutants and atomic energy, to name a few. In this respect we have both a national and an international responsibility, and it’s comforting to know that we now have in place a body and a mechanism with which to face up to these responsibilities. More than that, we have a vehicle by means of which creative and inventive scientific minds can actually bring innovative products and techniques safely and productively to the marketplace.”
Consequently, the regulatory requirements associated with these products represent a significant technical and financial barrier to their development. Biosafety South Africa’s role in is regard is to help ensure regulators and technology developers have the necessary information and know-how on compliance matters
The products of modern biotechnology are often living, Genetically Modified, Organisms (GMOs) with altered traits, which can spread, multiply and integrate into the environment. The potential impact of a GMO on human and/or animal health, the environment and socio-economic should therefore be estimated before it is released, to ensure a favourable risk-to-benefit ratio.
For media enquiries contact:
Nthabi Maoela
Cell: 082 944 0015
E-mail: Nthabiseng.maoela@dst.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
17 February 2010
Source: Department of Science and Technology (http://www.dst.gov.za/)
