By: Hans Lombard
AFRICAN scientists and agricultural organizations yesterday welcomed
the clarification by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
that the organization "supports the use of science and technology" -
including genetic modification (GM) technology - "to aid Africa's
smallholder farmers in their urgent efforts to end widespread poverty and
hunger".
Five major organizations working in agriculture ? AfricaBio, the
Africa Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF), Africa Harvest Biotech
Foundation International (AHBFI), Biotechnology-Ecology Research and
Outreach Consortium (BioEROC) and the International Service for the
Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) ? said the AGRA position is
consistent with that of the New Partnership for Africa?s Development (NEPAD)
in its report on biotechnology which states that ?regional economic
integration in Africa should embody the building and accumulation of
capacities to harness and govern modern biotechnology?.

AGRA says in a statement that its mission ?is not to advocate for or
against the use of genetic engineering. We believe it is up to governments,
in partnership with their citizens, to use the best knowledge available to
put in place policies and regulations that will guide the safe development
and acceptable use of new technologies, as several African countries are in
the process of doing?.

The Alliance said its mission is to use the wide variety of tools and
techniques available now to make a dramatic difference for Africa?s
smallholder farmers as quickly as possible. It said it has chosen to focus
on conventional breeding techniques but would ?consider funding the
development and deployment of such new (GM) technologies only after African
governments have endorsed and provided for their safe use?.

The Alliance clarified that conventional breeding was its starting
point, however it pointed out that since science and society are continually
evolving, and it does preclude future funding for genetic engineering as an
approach to crop variety improvement when it is the most appropriate tool to
address an important need of small-scale farmers.

Last week, AGRA?s new president, former UN Secretary General, Kofi
Annan, was reported as having ruled out the GM technology as one of AGRA?s
strategies in the fight against poverty and hunger in Africa. Anti-GM
organizations hailed his statement as a sign that the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation - a funding partner to AGRA ? has changed its strategy on the GM
technology.
South African-based AfricaBio President, Prof. Diran Makinde, said
?African agricultural organizations welcome the clarification from AGRA. We
cannot fault their strategy and we agree that conventional plant breeding
has not received sufficient attention or investment in Africa, leaving
untapped the inherent genetic potential available in African crops?.

Africa Harvest CEO, Dr. Florence Wambugu, said ?Africa?s leaders had
asked African scientists to come up with a consensus position on this new
technology. The NEPAD report clearly states that the continent must have the
freedom to innovate. Many countries and regional organizations are busy
domesticating the NEPAD Biotechnology Policy and will resist any effort to
erode their freedom to innovate?.

The African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF) CEO, Prof. Norah
Olembo, said: ?Africa is not choosing between the GM and conventional
breeding technologies. Given the desperate situation the continent faces, we
need desperate measures. The African Green Revolution will not come through
one technology only. While we applaud the focus of AGRA on conventional
breeding technologies, we also welcome their clarification that the GM
technology has an important role to play in fighting poverty, hunger and
malnutrition?.

Dr. Margaret Karembu of the Africa Center of ISAAA said ?No country
has resolved her food security needs using a single approach. The
clarification from AGRA therefore clears the misconception that Africa
should be restricted to traditional methods while the rest of the global
community moves fast in embracing new and advanced tools including GM
technology to enhance agricultural productivity?.

Executive Director of BioEROC in Malawi, Mr. Wisdom Changadeya, said
?nobody can deny Africa its right to a technology that will help it solve
some of its most serious and urgent problems. Biotechnology needs to be
embraced alongside other equally useful conventional technologies?

Issued on behalf of:
? AfricaBio
? Africa Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF)
? Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International (AHBFI)
? Biotechnology-Ecology Research and Outreach Consortium (BioEROC)
? International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech
Applications (ISAAA)
[www.absfafrica.org]