Stakeholders in Zambia Push for Bt Cotton Trials

Zambia has to develop the necessary research and development capacity not only to regulate but also to eventually enable the use of new technologies including biotechnology that can contribute to economic growth. This remark was forwarded by Hon. Lameck Mangani, Deputy Minister for Science, Technology and Vocational Training in his opening speech during the 2^nd Zambia stakeholders meeting on biotechnology and biosafety held on 8 October 2010.

The Deputy Minister said that issues of modern biotechnology, notably genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are here to stay and that it may not be possible to continue sidelining the issues any longer. "We have to rise above the ideological divide and work in partnership towards what is rational and beneficial to Zambia's future," he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), Dr. Cris Muyunda, noted that agricultural productivity and competitiveness requires the right mix of policy choices and the use of available technological options including biotechnology. Restricting farmers' access to technology is restricting their flexibility to meet their potential in productivity, he said. The Cotton Development Trust, the Cotton Association of Zambia, and representatives of smallholder farmers strongly appealed to Biosafety Authorities in the country to approve trials of Bt cotton. They said that Zambia should learn from the experience of countries such as Uganda and Kenya which have been able to conduct trials of several GM crops while building biosafety capacity in an incremental manner. The participants argued that a rigid precautionary and GM-free stance was likely to discourage potential development partners and technology developers.

For more information email Dr. Getachew Belay, Senior Biotechnology Policy Advisor, ACTESA/COMESA at gbelay@actesacomesa.org.