The second session of the African Policy Dialogues on Biotechnology was held from 20-22 September 2004, in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Co-ordinated by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in collaboration with Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FARNPAN), the meeting brought together representatives from across Southern Africa with the aim of building consensus and strategies for common action on biotechnology in the region. Participants agreed on the need to develop a uniform policy on biotechnology and biosafety. However, views were polarized on the potential of modern biotechnology for food security.
Olivia Muchena, Zimbabwe’s Minister of State for Science and Technology Development, opened the meeting underscoring that biotechnology is a very contentious issue. Noting that there are serious rifts over the economic, social and ecological value and costs of genetic engineering, and that proponents of the technology have often over exaggerated its benefits, she said that “statements such as ‘GMOs will stop hunger in Africa’ are not only misplaced but also provocative. Narrowing the cause of hunger to the absence of one technology is really missing the point.” She stressed that “sound policies and not charity will determine whether the new biotechnologies will be a tool for human development in Southern Africa.” She invited participants to “think strategically, and act collectively as Africans to defend our resources, develop our capacity to feed ourselves, and maintain our dignity as we shape our future.”
Delegates agreed that capacity building is essential for African countries to carry out research on the risks and benefits of biotechnology. NEPAD’s Science and Technology Forum Executive Secretary Joseph Mugabe noted that “increasing uncertainty and confusion in many of the African governments’ responses to a wide range of social, ethical, environmental, trade and economic issues associated with the development and application of modern biotechnology is worrying.”
Delegates noted the existence of extreme positions that polarize the continent. Representatives of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Christian Aid said the technology posed a threat to small farmers, the environment and human health. Many delegates said that modern biotechnology has failed to deliver on its promises that GM crops would benefit consumers, poor farmers and the environment, and stressed the need for liability regulation, while other delegates stressed the challenge of embracing the technology while containing its risks. A series of regional meetings have been scheduled for the coming months in Africa, to continue the effort towards building consensus on biotechnology.
On related news, the 7th Annual AfrICANCO Trade and Investment Symposium was held from 16-18 September 2004, in Miami, US. Organized by the Foundation for Democracy in Africa, this year’s symposium was held under the theme “Effective and efficient use of agricultural science, technology and research as tools for development in Africa.” The symposium aimed to create a forum to address the agricultural challenges and opportunities facing Africa, by promoting the use of scientific research, agricultural technology and the production of strategic agricultural commodities and other key activities as the first step towards solving Africa’s food security issues and create a robust African agricultural economy. In a keynote address, US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman recalled that, at the West African Ministerial Conference (June 2004, Burkina Faso), four Heads of State from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Ghana endorsed the promise of biotechnology tailored to meet the needs of their individual countries. She announced several initiatives to build on the foundation laid at the Burkina Faso Ministerial, including: the examination of the cotton sector in West Africa by a US private and public sector team of experts, who will suggest ways of making cotton production more efficient and competitive; the organization of a follow-up conference in Mali; and assistance towards creating a regional African Center of Excellence for Biotechnology in West Africa.
Links to further information
African Policy Dialogues on Biotechnology website
The Herald (Harare), 23 September 2004
ICTSD Bridges Trade BioRes, 8 October 2004
Zimbabwe Independent (Harare), 24 September 2004
AfrICANDO 2004 website
Veneman’s keynote address