ANTI-GMO TAG PRESENTING 'MISSED OPPORTUNITY' FOR ZAMBIA

ANTI-GMO TAG  PRESENTING 'MISSED OPPORTUNITY' FOR ZAMBIA 

...as the perception continues to hinder  local research on GMOs,laments NBA

By Alfonso Kasongo 

Zambia’s biotechnology and biosafety regulator has regretted the labelling of the country as an anti-GMOs state,saying the notion has presented a 'missed opportunity' for the Southern African nation to diversify its agricultural technologies.

The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has also reviewed that once some  documents on the regulation of GMOs in the  country are finalized and validated, the Authority will be able to roll out commercialisation of biotechnology products.

"Much as we seem not to have done anything on aspiring commercialisation, we have documents that are available which only require validation and these are documents within our control because they don't require a minister to approve but just a board of the NBA. The only documents that may require a minister is just Statutory Instruments (SI), as we  implement the Act and the policy. From where we are standing, we need your assistance in the finalization of these documents to an extent of once the policy is passed and the Act  comes into being, we will be ready to roll," NBA  Chief Executive Officer, Luckson Tonga disclosed.

Arguably,  some scientific papers have shown that biotechnology techniques like genome-editing can increase agricultural productivity and nutrition as they (techniques) have the potential to develop crops that are able to withstand effects of climate change; disease and pest resistant as well as enhancing nutrition by making specific changes to the DNA of a cell or organism. It can be used to add, remove or alter DNA in the genome without bringing any foreign gene to the targeted DNA.


Addressing this year's African Biosafety Coordination Partners Meeting in Lusaka, Zambia,recently, Mr. Tonga stressed the need to change the perception,hence imploring research institutes in the country to wake up and start working on issues surrounding GMOs in agriculture.

Mr. Tonga laments  that the perception  that Zambia is anti-GMOs continues to hinder research institutes and universities  from participating in GMOs.

Mr. Tonga announced that the  Authority wants to expose local scientists to 'seeing is believing'.

The biosafety Agency is also targeting Members of Parliament and government officials in issues that are relevant to its mandate.

"we want leverage on acceptance of GM products which are already on the market to the extent that they can build confidence.We want to build confidence as we go out with awareness," Mr. Tonga said. 

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