Overview

The role of modern biotechnology in the economic transformation and sustainable development of Africa is the subject of increasing debate and controversy. The debate can be traced to the late 1980s but has acquired new dimensions as a result of a variety of factors including rapid scientific and technological advances, increasing commercialization of genetically modified foods, increasing food insecurity in Africa, and growth in the activities and influence of environmental activists. Recent famines and hunger in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and the decision by some African governments to reject genetically modified food provided to their countries as aid have moved the debate from the confines of scientific and environmental groups to the centre of public policy and politics in the region.

There are two extreme positions that characterize the debate: pro- and anti-biotechnology camps. The extreme pro-biotechnology groups catalogue potential benefits of the technology and often dismiss any concerns about potential risks. They tend to portray biotechnology as the panacea to food insecurity in Africa. On the other extreme are the anti-biotechnology activists that associate the technology with nothing but danger and risks. They will like the development, commercialization and application of the technology stopped. The two extreme views have tended to confuse many African policy-makers and sections of the public because of the lack of reliable information and guidance available to these groups. There is increasing uncertainty and confusion in many of the African governments’ responses to a wide range of social, ethical, environmental, trade and economic issues associated with the development and application of modern biotechnology. This is likely to deny African countries opportunities to derive benefits while at the same time minimizing risks from the technology. These countries need to establish informed policies and strategies to respond to developments associated with biotechnology. They should not continue to react to agendas set by other regions of the world.

NEPAD framework document commits Africa to the creation of an African platform on biotechnology. It articulates two interrelated goals of the platform. This first is to "generate a critical mass of technological expertise in targeted areas that offer high growth potential" from biotechnology and the second is to "harness biotechnology in order to develop Africa’s rich biodiversity and … improving agricultural productivity and developing pharmaceutical products." To realize these goals African countries will need to first and foremost build common consensus and strategies on how best to ensure that they maximize benefits from the technology while at the same time addressing potential environmental, health, ethical and economic risks or concerns emerging with rapid advances of the technology.

NEPAD’s first African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology recognized the urgency of African countries developing and adopting a common position and strategic approach to biotechnology issues. It was recognized that the absence of African consensus and strategic approaches to address emerging biotechnology issues allows different interest groups to exploit uncertainty in policy-making, regardless of what may be the objective situation for Africa.

NEPAD and the African Union (AU) Commission have established a high-level African Panel on Biotechnology (APB) to facilitate open and informed regional multi-stakeholder dialogues on, inter alia, scientific, technical, economic, health, social, ethical, environmental, trade and intellectual property protection issues associated with or raised by rapid developments in modern biotechnology.