Regional Approach to Biosafety for Southern African Countries (RABSAC)

Marnus GouseDepartment of Agricultural Economics -

University of Pretoria / FANRPAN

FANRPAN Regional Stakeholders Meeting

2-4 May 2007

Overview

RABSAC = Towards a Regional Approach to Biotechnology and Biosafety for Southern African Countries

Funded by USAID,through IFPRI’s

Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS)

• PBS currently focuses on Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East, West and Southern Africa.

• RABSAC’s Sister program: RABESA – Regional Approach to Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy in Eastern and Southern Africa - Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia (concluded with regional workshop in 30-31 May 2006)

Overview

• RABSAC 2005-2007

Overall project objective:

FANRPAN, in collaboration with national nodes and technical partners in selected countries, endeavor to document a balanced review of the fundamental information needed to inform SADC’s regional biosafety policy choices responsibly.

Specific Objectives

1. Undertake stakeholder analysis in the selected SADC countries highlighting opportunities, challenges, views and positions related to their engagements in trade, GMOs and food security;

2. Analyse possible impacts of GM crops on farm income and food security;

3. Analyse possible commercial risks of losing regional and international export markets if GM crops were to be released for commercial production.

4. Estimate impact of precautionary GMO principles on access to emergency food aid and food security in the SADC region; and

5. Identify a range of regional biosafety policy options for decision-making on issues of GMOs and trade in SADC countries.

Target Countries

TargetCountries

Malawi

Mauritius

S. Africa

Target Countries Countries each present a unique case study

• South Africa

– Has been producing GM crops since 1997

– Is still the only African country to commercially produce GM crops

– Produces:

Insect resistant (Bt) cotton (1997) and maize (1998 yellow, 2001 white)

Herbicide tolerant (RR) cotton (2001), maize (2004) and soya beans (2001)

Stacked gene (Bt + RR) cotton since 2005

Areas under GM crops in 2005/06 production season

GM Cotton about 92% of total cotton area

GM maize about 29% of total maize area

GM soya beans about 59% of total soya area

– Has a functioning biosafety system

• Mauritius

– An island with unique biosafety concerns

– Food importer – imports maize from SA & Argentina, soya beans from US, Argentina and Brazil

– Mauritius is has a mono-crop industry (sugar) and will loose preferential country status in 2008 – need other options!

– In final stage of developing a biosafety policy and framework

• Malawi

– In advanced stage of developing a biosafety policy and framework

– GM cotton and maize of great interest to Malawi

– Part of a USAID supported Cassava project

– Identified by ICRISAT as a country that can benefit immensely from GM groundnuts

– Huge agricultural potential, but frequent food aid receiver

Project Partnerships

•University of Pretoria,South Africa

• University of Mauritius,Mauritius

•Bunda College of Malawi

FANRPAN National Nodes

•AfricaBio (South Africa)

•Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute (MSIRI)

•BioEroc (Malawi)

Technical Partners

Key Project Activities

Phase I Situation and stakeholder analysis

(July-Sept 2005)Information

dissemination

FANRPAN Annual Dialogue (Sep 2005)

National workshops (May/Aug/Sept 2006)

Phase II Country case studies:

(Nov – Feb 2005/6)

Desk study

(Sept-Dec 2005)

Outputs / recommendations / results

FANRPAN website

Regional workshop Aug / Sept 2007

Thank you!