18 Jul 2013

The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi says Botswana needs to develop a national biosafety policy to guide her on the development and management of biotechnology issues.

Presenting the policy in Parliament on July 17, Mr Molebatsi said the advancement of biotechnology called for establishment of safety guidelines as there were adverse effects on human health and the environment.

He explained that Botswana as a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety had to develop its own national laws. Therefore, he said the policy paved way for such a law to be presented before Parliament in due course.

The assistant minister said application of modern biotechnology had some uncertainties and risks adding that issues of safety on human health and animal welfare included toxicity and nutritional composition. On toxicity, he said the issue was whether biotechnology would not increase the levels of naturally occurring toxins in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Another issue, he said, was whether potential allegens had not been introduced in GMOs. “There are also environmental issues due to the application of modern biotechnology which include gene spread through hybridisation between GM crops or plants and related species, spreading and invasion of GM plants into the natural ecosystems and effects on non-target organisms.”

Mr Molebatsi further said socio-economic concerns raised include loss of traditional knowledge, disruption of small scale farming systems such as displacement of traditional crops, incompatibility with ethical or religious beliefs and equitable access or affordability of the GM products as well as the impact on world trade.

The assistant minister however noted that the application of biotechnology has great potential for the well-being of humanity if appropriate safety measures for the environment, biodiversity and human health are put in place. ENDS