US embassy cable - 05GABORONE568

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GABORONE 000568 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S, AF/EPS, OES/ETC AND EB/TPP/ABT 
PRETORIA FOR FAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ECON, ETRD, TBIO, KPAO, SENV, EAID, BC, Economy, Environment 
SUBJECT: SADC'S ROLE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOSAFETY IN THE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION 
 
REFS:  A) Pretoria 1256; (B) 04 Gaborone 2069; (C) 04 
 
Gaborone 1937; (D) 04 Gaborone 1318 (NOTAL) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  Biotechnology can play a key role in economic and social 
development in the Southern African region.  Agricultural 
technologies, including genetic modification, have the 
potential to increase food production over the next 50 years 
and help fight regional hunger.  Progress is being made in 
some Southern African Development Community (SADC) 
countries.  However, SADC itself is only slowly addressing 
the issue of biotechnology, preferring to leave 
biotechnology policy up to individual states.  Until SADC is 
ready to engage on biotechnology in a more meaningful 
manner, we need to advance USG biotechnology interests 
through bilateral interventions.  End summary. 
 
SADC Institutional Arrangements 
------------------------------- 
 
2.  In 2003, a Southern African Development Community (SADC) 
Advisory Committee on Biotechnology (SACB) was created to 
advise the SADC Council of Ministers on emerging 
technologies.  SACB was established as an independent body 
composed of experienced specialists, including molecular 
biologists, biotechnologists, biochemists, plant breeders, 
animal breeders, veterinarians, environmental and trade 
experts, health experts and members of the civil/consumer 
society from the SADC region.  It is housed in the Food, 
Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate at the SADC 
Secretariat in Gaborone.  Experts appointed to this 
 
SIPDIS 
Committee serve in their personal capacity; the views 
expressed are not binding on SADC and member states unless 
appropriate SADC authorities endorse them. 
 
3.  The first set of guidelines on genetically modified 
organisms and biotechnology was approved in August 2003 at 
the Integrated Committee of Ministers meeting in Dar-es- 
Salaam.  Recently, SACB has developed a draft SADC Framework 
on the Safe Handling and Transboundary Movement of 
Genetically Modified Organisms.  The Framework details the 
processes that must be followed, including informed 
agreements, notifications, information required, packaging, 
identification and labeling for import and export of 
genetically modified organism products. 
 
4.  The SADC Secretariat plans to appoint a SADC 
Biotechnology and Biosafety Focal Point, who will be 
responsible for coordinating and overseeing SADC's regional 
activities in biotechnology and biosafety, including 
establishing and managing a clearing-house mechanism, 
resource mobilization and utilization, and capacity 
building.  National focal points under the Cartagena 
Protocol on Biosafety will serve as focal points in member 
states under the framework.  (Note: This appointment has not 
yet been made.) 
 
Status of Biosafety in SADC Member States 
----------------------------------------- 
 
5.  The acceptance of biotechnology is slowly gaining 
momentum in some SADC member states as countries realize the 
potential it offers for sustainable food production that 
will help combat famine and poverty.  South Africa has 
introduced genetically modified crops to help feed its 
people, leading SADC countries in acreage of genetically 
engineered crops such as maize and soybeans (which, together 
with genetically modified cotton, totaled between 700,000 
and 1 million hectares in 2004).  A number of universities 
and institutions in South Africa are involved in research, 
as is the National Agricultural Research Center. 
 
6.  Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe have legally binding 
biosafety frameworks in place already, while Angola, 
Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Swaziland, 
Tanzania and Zambia are working on draft legislation. 
Botswana is in the process of finalizing a national 
framework on biosafety (Refs C & D), which will include 
policies as well as legal, administrative and technical 
instruments to ensure safety for the environment and human 
health.  USAID/RCSA is working with the Malawian government 
to produce a biosafety protocol. 
 
Regional Initiatives 
-------------------- 
 
7.  There are a number of bodies and institutions in the 
Southern African region that are working on public awareness 
and dissemination of biosafety information in most member 
states.  AfricaBio is a non-governmental, non-political and 
non-profit biotechnology organization based in South Africa 
that advocates for stakeholders in the research and 
development, production, processing and consuming sectors. 
The bulk of its funding has been from Monsanto and other 
private sector companies.  (Note: USAID has provided funding 
for training and capacity building activities.) 
 
8.  The United Nations Environment Program Global 
Environment Fund began a global project on development of 
national biosafety frameworks in 2001.  The SADC countries 
participating are Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland, 
South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Malawi.  The project 
uses a country-driven process to set up biosafety 
frameworks, and promotes regional and sub-regional exchange 
of experiences on issues relevant to national biosafety 
frameworks. 
9.  The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) 
Steering Committee on Science and Technology resolved in 
July 2004 that its Secretariat and the African Union (AU) 
would establish a high-level panel of experts to prepare a 
comprehensive African strategy and common position on 
biotechnology.  NEPAD's South Africa-based Science and 
Technology Advisor, Dr. John Mugabe, subsequently 
established a NEPAD biotechnology advisory panel for African 
policymakers and staffed the NEPAD Science and Technology 
Unit with a Biosciences Policy Advisor, Professor Aggrey 
Ambali. 
 
10.  In July 2004, Mozambique hosted an International 
Conference on Hunger, Food Aid and Genetically Modified 
Organisms to strengthen the understanding of genetically 
modified food aid and hunger by sharing information and 
starting a real dialogue among the various stakeholders. 
Consumer organizations, NGOs and government policy-makers 
participated in the conference. 
 
U.S. Government Assistance 
-------------------------- 
 
11.  The U.S. sponsored a biotechnology fact-finding mission 
for SADC member states in 2003 as well as a trip 
specifically for Zambia in 2002.  USAID's Agricultural 
Biotechnology Support Project also funds the South Africa- 
based Southern African Regional Biosafety Program, which has 
seven target countries -- Mauritius, Mozambique, Malawi, 
Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  The project 
organizes workshops and training courses on innovation 
biotechnology, risk assessment and biosafety research.  In 
November 2004, USAID and State/EB cosponsored a seminar -- 
organized by AfricaBio -- on food aid and biotechnology for 
representatives of several Southern African countries. 
 
12.  A significant amount of work has been accomplished on a 
bilateral basis in the SADC region.  Embassy Pretoria has 
conducted an active campaign in support of biotechnology, 
including study tours, speakers, small research grants by 
USAID for biotechnology projects, and hosting an Embassy 
Science Fellow with biotechnology regulatory experience (who 
also traveled to Botswana to advise Botswana's National 
Biosafety Committee).  In October 2004, Congressman Steve 
King, the Department of State and USDA/FAS sponsored a study 
tour of Washington, DC and Iowa for three biotechnology 
experts who are leading the Government of Botswana's efforts 
to establish a national biosafety policy (Ref C). 
 
Resistance and Barriers 
----------------------- 
 
13.  Despite the benefits biotechnology can bring, SADC 
member states are concerned that the use of genetically 
modified organisms carries environmental risks, including 
cross-pollination of genetically modified and non- 
genetically modified crops, herbicide tolerance and insect- 
resistance, elimination of non-target species of ecological 
importance, and uptake of genetic inserts by micro- 
organisms.  Other matters that generally remain unresolved 
include implementing national biosafety regulations, 
building capacity to effectively monitor and enforce 
biosafety regulations, reaching agreement on the labeling of 
products, ensuring intellectual property rights, and 
negotiating trade agreements.  The region also lacks 
infrastructure such as laboratories and research stations to 
investigate and monitor genetically modified organism 
products. 
 
14.  The importation of genetically modified food aid has 
been a growing controversy in southern Africa since 2000 
when Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe refused to 
accept genetically modified food aid offered by the U.S. and 
the World Food Program (WFP) -- despite being faced with 
critical food shortages.  In 2004, the Angolan Government 
demanded that imported genetically modified grain be milled 
before being distributed, claiming this would protect the 
diversity of its plant genes.  Earlier this year, press 
reports indicated that the Angolan Cabinet had decided to 
ban the import of all genetically modified organisms, with 
the exception of milled grain imported as food aid.  Even in 
South Africa, the region's leading grower of genetically 
modified crops, local conditions for the approval and use of 
agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified 
organisms may be worsening (Ref A). 
 
15.  In 2004, biotech discussions with high-level Government 
of Botswana officials revealed significant political 
opposition to genetically modified agricultural products, 
despite strong support of biotechnology by President Festus 
Mogae (Ref D).  Post's subsequent biotechnology outreach 
activities (para 11) may have begun to turn the tide, at 
least within the technical cadre. 
 
16.  The SADC Guidelines on Genetically Modified Organisms, 
Biotechnology and Biosafety of 2003, state that food aid 
consignments involving grain or any propagative plant 
material that may contain genetically modified organisms 
should be milled or sterilized prior to distribution.  This 
policy has been reiterated in the draft SADC framework on 
the safe handling and transboundary movement of genetically 
modified organisms. 
 
17.  Public awareness in the region is very low.  Member 
states see challenges in engaging the public created by the 
costs of disseminating information, traditional farming 
systems, traditional social and cultural factors, commercial 
competition and confidentiality issues, and external 
influences advocating against biotechnology. 
 
Comment: Challenges Face the Region 
----------------------------------- 
 
18.  Although biotechnology is a science, it has migrated 
into the political, ethical and public perception arenas in 
Southern Africa.  There is a need to build capacity within 
SADC member states to make science-based decisions regarding 
the technology and provide accurate information to the 
public.  SADC recognizes that biotechnology can dramatically 
improve food security in the region.  However, in spite of 
USG and other assistance, it is only slowly addressing the 
issue (witness the delay in appointing a SADC Biotechnology 
and Biosafety Focal Point), preferring to leave it up to 
individual states to safeguard the interests of consumers, 
producers, exporters and other relevant stakeholders in 
Southern Africa.  Until SADC is ready to engage on 
biotechnology in a more meaningful manner, we need to 
advance USG biotechnology interests through bilateral 
interventions. 
 
HUGGINS