African biotechnologist laments anti-GMO stance

The second Non-Aligned Movement Science and Technology Technical Meeting on Industrial Biotechnology ended in Harare last week with countries agreeing to intensify research activities, while a top African biochemist lamented restrictive policies that have slowed down the development of the biotechnology industry in Africa.

The three-day event was jointly organised by the Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries or NAM S&T Centre, the National Biotechnology Authority of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.

Participants represented governments, institutions and agencies from Cuba, Egypt, the Gambia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

They resolved to recommend that research activities be intensified in the applications of industrial biotechnology in a “safe, sustainable and responsible manner, consistent with the provisions of legal frameworks within member states”.

They also resolved to recommend that governments and concerned agencies of the Non-Aligned Movement or NAM countries should take appropriate measures to establish research development and innovation funds to support industrial biotechnology within NAM member states.

“Value addition and beneficiation, intellectual property rights, and biosafety awareness should form an important component of the curriculum in the education system at all levels,” reads part of the resolution.

The countries also resolved to promote “beneficial collaborations and partnerships for generation and exchange of knowledge in the fields of industrial biotechnology” among NAM scientists and scientific organisations, identify industrial biotechnology applications for value addition and beneficiation based on socio-economic potential in NAM member states, and encourage the participation of all stakeholders in the development, utilisation and commercialisation of biotechnologies in industries for sustained development.

The countries resolved that efforts should be made to establish a centre for short-term training courses on industrial biotechnology in each of the NAM regions.

Zimbabwe has offered to initiate the establishment of a committee to work with the NAM S&T Centre to develop a roadmap for implementation of the recommendations.

While Zimbabwe has outlawed genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, renowned biochemist Professor Christopher Chetsanga, who is also a University of Zimbabwe lecturer, said in a keynote address at a workshop linked to the meeting that GMOs were safe for human consumption.

He said most African countries still fail to take full advantage of biotechnology in agriculture and industry and most African countries were still lagging behind in enjoying the benefits associated with effective use of biotechnologies, particularly through GMOs in agriculture and industry.

Zimbabwe’s neighbour South Africa continues to lead the adoption of biotech crops in Africa.

Chetsanga said biotechnology had offered medical assistance which includes molecular diagnosis of diseases, as well as genetically engineered insulin for diabetes which is now produced in large quantities and costs much less.

“Then there is the human growth hormone developed in biotechnology for proper growth of children, then also vaccines for hepatitis B virus. Unfortunately, there are continuing false rumours about GMOs being health hazards to humans. In fact this is really unfounded,” said Chetsenga.

“There are continuing false rumours about GMOs being health hazards to humans. I worked extensively with GMOs when I was working as a professor in the United States. That country has developed numerous varieties of GMOs and its people have eaten GMO-based food products for almost 20 years. There has not been any report of people’s health being harmed,” said Chetsanga.

In response, Zimbabwe’s Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Dr Godfrey Gandawa said: "I didn’t want to comment but I have been forced. The policy in Zimbabwe is we are anti-GMOs. If you want us to implement controversial policies or to accept certain research there is a better way of putting it to us. You have empirical evidence to prove which sometimes is not what the politician sees."