The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries notes with concern the media release by the Animal Feeds Manufacturers’ Association (AFMA) dated 23 August 2012. Their press statement deals with the reasons for the anticipated rise in food prices, a topic widely reported over the last few weeks. This departmental response is restricted to the claims made regarding the perceived inefficient regulatory framework which governs the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in South Africa.
AFMA claims that cost increases in the industry are the result of departmental inefficiencies as one outstanding GMO event is not approved in South Africa, therefore preventing the importation of grain commodities from countries such as Argentina, Brazil and the United States.
The department wishes to inform the industry that the use of GMOs is governed by the Genetically Modified Organisms Act of 1997. This Act ensures that all GMOs which enter the territory of South Africa are safe for human and animal consumption and not harmful to the South African environment. Consequently, no GMO may be imported into SA, unless it is approved for a specific use under the GMO Act.
Globally, the approval status of GMOs differs among countries because of regulatory restrictions, the appropriateness of the GMOs for a specific production environment, decisions by technology developers, etc. Traditionally, the US and SA were always asynchronous in terms of the number of GMOs (‘the GMO events”) approved; the US always had more GMO events in production. Mindful that GMO events are not separated during handling processes, imports from countries with which we do not share equal GMO event approvals could result in GMOs entering the South African market of which we would have no safety information. As a result, grain imports were not allowed from the US.
Until recently, SA and Argentina remained synchronous in the number of GM maize events approved. When Argentina approved and started producing an additional GM maize event, an asynchronous situation, similar to the one with the US, resulted. In line with the South African legislation, maize imports from Argentina were suspended.
As with all agricultural inputs, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries does not determine which GMO events are submitted for consideration under the regulatory framework. Given that application for approval of GMO events is a business decision of the technology developers, we have repeatedly (for at least the last ten months) advised AFMA to direct their concerns regarding the potential impact of the asynchrony in GMO approvals to the technology developers.
At the moment, the state machinery which AFMA considers inefficient cannot do much, unless the technology developers submit an application for the assessment of the GMO event which has currently caused the asynchrony between Argentina and SA.
The department cannot abandon its obligation to ensure the responsible use of GMOS in South Africa which will result in the availability of safe food and feed intended for human and animal consumption, respectively.
Enquiries:
Julian Jaftha
Director: Genetic Resources
Tel: 012 319 6024
Cell: 082 395 6150
