Tanzanian Researchers Confident on GM Crop Field Trials

Tanzanian researchers involved in GM research expressed their confidence that a clause which holds them and their partner companies liable for any negative effects of GM will be amended this year. The liability clause which is a regulation directly from 2004 National Environmental Management Act has impeded the conduct of GM crop field trials. According to Dr. Roshan Abdallah, member of National Biosafety Advisory Committee, and Dr. Nicholar Nyange, acting DG of Commission for Science and Technology, a bill to amend the 2004 NEM Act will be forwarded to the Parliament this year to allow them complete field trials for GM maize.

"It takes sometime to change regulations in which case this liability clause directly emanated from the mother law," said Dr. Abdallah who said President Jakaya Kikwete had promised to work on the legal hurdle when he officially opened the modern biotech laboratory at Mikocheni Agriculture Research Institute (MARI) last year. Dr. Abdallah also said that the clause prevented private companies to work with local scientists in developing GM crops because it opens all avenues of legal litigation against them. Furthermore, Dr. Abdalla stressed that Tanzania must be allowed to conduct field trials now since their neighbors Kenya and Uganda are already conducting trials and will soon be growing GM maize.

Read more at http://b4fa.org/b4fa-week-review-11-february-2014/ and http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/27930-local-researchers-confident-on-gmo-field-trials.