NEW NATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOSAFETY POLICY DRAFT CONTENT STILL WORRIES ZAAB

By Alfonso Kasongo 

Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biosafety (ZAAB) says that there is still great concern about the content of the new draft of the national biotechnology and biosafety policy despite it undergoing validation process.

ZAAB National Cordinator Mutinta Nketani discloses that the new national biotechnology and biosafety policy draft is under validation  process at district level and that the Alliance has not been engaged following its cut off from the process in the early stages of the process. 

Ms Nketani reiterates that the introduction of live  Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into agriculture given the restrictions imposed by GMO property rights and the contamination of Zambian indigenous seeds remain some of the threatening concerns  

Addressing some farmers and traditional leaders during a holistic land management conference in Lusaka Ms Nketani explains that the framing of the draft policy promotes the introduction of GMOs in the agricultural sector. 

Meanwhile she indicated that the Alliance members were involved in the review of the national biosafety policy in its early stages despite its voice cut because of its concern about  the content of the draft national biotechnology and biosafety policy about 3 years ago.

ZAAB, an Alliance of  civil society organisations, faith based organisations   private institutions advocates for citizens’ rights to food sovereignty, embedded within an ecological and socially just Zambia.

It supports the adoption of agroecology as a holistic, citizenry solution to sustainably build Zambia’s food and farming systems and strengthen resilience against climate change. 

ZAAB also advocates for the recognition of farmers rights as espoused in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRF) and the United  Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and othe People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP).

ZAAB National Cordinator Mutinta Nketani 

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