Overview of Regional Policies and Biosafety Laws in Africa

1
Overview of Regional Policies and Biosafety Laws
in Africa

• The Current Status
• By Mariam Mayet
• African Centre for Biosafety
• July 2004

2
Regional Policies and Biosafety Laws in Africa

• 1. Regional Policies
• 2. Biotech Investments
• 3. Biosafety Initiatives Posing a Threat
• 4. Overview of Biosafety Frameworks
• 5. Conclusions and Remarks

3
Regional Policies - NEPAD

• Mugabes recommendations
• SADC Guidelines
• AU initiatives
• (a)   NEPAD
•   Enhancement of capacity
•   Regional consensus.
•  

4
Regional Polcies Cont

• (b)   John Mugabes proposal-est African
• Panel on Biotech
•  African policies are confused
• Implementation of BSP
• Assistance in WTO and othaer for a
• Harmonisation of Biosafety regulations
• Network centres of excellence

5
SADC Guidelines on GMOs. Biotech and Biosagfety

• Handling of Food Aid (transit info centre
  source regionally PIC whole grain milled and
  sterilised identification for food aid in
  transit FAIT, use AU model law)
• Policy and Regulations (dev NBP and NB reg sys,
  ratification BSP harmonised policy and reg
  system AU Model law no imports of GM grain for
  seed without approved guidelines RA case-by-case
  basis and every genetic modification should be
  tested in the environment under which released)
• Capacity Building (SADC commission studies on
  impact)
•   Public Awareness and Participation

6
AUs Initiatives

•   AU Model law on Safety in Biotechnology
•   Expert Committees recommendations 

7
Biotech Investments

• 100 million-CABIO-US government at WSSD
• Monsanto Fund
• ISAAA projects (funded by USAID, Bayer,
  CropScience, Monsanto, Pioneer, Syngenta,
  Cargill, Dow, USDA)
• AATF-MOA signed in Burkina Faso at June WA
  conference

8
Biotech Investments cont

• IITP CGIAR Harvest Plan for 2nd generation
  GM crops ( 100 million of which 25 million from
  Bill Gates)
• Mali-Study by GRAIN-Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow
  Agrosciences supported by USAID 5 year roll out
  plan for GM cotton
• Nigeria-USAID MOA with govt of Nigeria and IITP
  N400 million for agricultural biotech RD

9
Biosafety Initiatives Posing a Threat

• USAID at the forefront-APBS
•  Private sector partners-Asgrow, Monsanto Corp,
  Gart seed comp, Pioneer Hi-Bred, DNA plant tech
•  Southern Africa-SARB-influence on Malawi BF,
  clearest example of undue influence
•  East and Central Africa-ASARECA
•   USAIDs, PBS-run by ISNAR 14. 8 million

10
Overview of Biosafety Frameworks

• South Africa-Biosafety Law
• Zambia-response to USAIDs comments
• Uganda-background information-push for Bt cotton
• Kenya-Draft Bill
• Malawi-Biosafety framework under SARB
• Cameroon-Biosafety Law.

11
Regional Policies and Biosafety Laws and Policies

• Conclusion
• Remarks
• THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND PARTICIPATION