Zambia Develops Biotechnology Strategy

By Singy Hanyona

LUSAKA, Zambia, April 29, 2003 (ENS) - Seven months after Zambia rejected genetically modified foods and banned American transgenic food donations from entering its territory, the Zambian government has developed a National Biosafety and Biotechnology Strategy Plan.

The five year plan, from 2003 to 2007, will take care of the unwarranted proliferation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the country. It also sets the pace for Zambia to develop biosafety regulations to protect the country's unique biodiversity.

Dr. Paul Zambezi, director of science and technology in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training, says a national biosafety and biotechnology policy has also been developed, pending approval and adoption by the Zambian Cabinet.

Dr. Zambezi says the country learned bitter lessons during the debate over genetically modified foods, which prompted the government to design its own mechanisms for the handling of biosafety and biotechnology matters.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa greets James Morris (left), UN special envoy for humanitarian needs in Southern Africa, and Stephen Lewis of Canada, special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, at the start of their two day visit to Zambia in January. (Photos by Brenda Barton courtesy World Food Programme)

The new biosafety and biotechnogy framework identifies seven core program areas. These include environment and biodiversity, which aims at conserving the genetic diversity of Zambia's crops. Other program areas are livestock, fish, and the control of environmental pollution.

The plan also aims at enacting legislation that will govern the research, development, and utilization of genetically modified organisms.

One area of research and development is aimed at protecting the population against preventable diseases and developing of capacity to diagnose tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. Zambia has one of the highest adult prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS in the world - 21 percent.

Dr. Wilson Mwenya, a geneticist who chairs the NBBSP Drafting Committee said implementation of the plan will gobble an estimated US$40 million.

"We need funds for the program. Human resources and infrastructure alone require US$18 million," said Dr. Mwenya, who is also director of the National Science and Technology Council.

The government has since acknowledged that technology, though not new to Zambia, is a costly venture.

Minister of Science, Technology and Vocational Training Abel Chambeshi says biotechnology requires a lot of investment. "Technology is very expensive. We need investments in various fields of competence, such as microbiology, biochemistry and biophysics," Chambeshi said.

Scientists have defined biotechnology as the integration of the biological and engineering sciences in order to enable the use of living organisms such as cells, to modify or change certain other living organisms for particular uses. For example, through biotechnology, it is now possible to come up with new crop varieties that are resistant to disease, drought, cold, heat, and resistance to insects, tolerance to herbicides or both.

Many experts believe that biotechnology is bound to become one of the keys to the future of developing countries, since genetic engineering of crops may make it possible to narrow the gap between food production and population increase.

Woman collects World Food Programme food rations on the outskirts of Lusaka. International food aid has been distributed to hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable Zambians, helping to prevent a humanitarian disaster. (Photo by Brenda Barton courtesy WFP)

Although Zambia's overall harvest is forecast to improve this year, parts of the southern region are facing another year of food shortages due to unfavorable weather conditions. Erratic rainfall resulted in the loss of significant crops, while pockets of the country also lost their crops due to flooding when the rains finally did come.

Currently, the only whole grain in U.S. food aid donations that might be bio-engineered is maize [corn], according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. While the maize in food aid is not intended for planting, the shipment of whole grain commodities has raised issues about the potential environmental impacts, should the grain be planted in recipient countries.

The U.S. aid agency says bio-engineered crops planted by American farmers, and later sent as food aid, have been "rigorously reviewed for environmental and food safety" by all relevant U.S. regulatory agencies. The environmental issues considered in the regulatory review include the possibility of increased weediness of the crop plant, cross-pollinating of bio-engineered crops with closely related wild or domesticated plant species, and impact on non-target organisms.