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The launch of the OFAB Zimbabwe Chapter will pave way for the application of biotechnology to attain food and nutritional security goals as outlined in the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation

Sifelani Tsiko Senior Writer
We want to create a platform where scientists and other stakeholders can debate biotechnology for agriculture issues more openly and raise awareness among the people. The recent launch of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology Zimbabwe Chapter is a major milestone that will provide a platform for the country to debate and shape the future discourse of agricultural biotechnology.

Public attitudes towards biotechnology and biotechnology research are quite varied within Zimbabwe and scientists, policy-makers and Government officials who were at the launch felt strongly that the local chapter will provide some useful insights into the ethical concerns, dilemmas, trade-offs and benefits that have been expressed concerning biotechnology.

The OFAB Zimbabwe Chapter, which was being hosted by the he National Biotechnology Authority, was launched recently in Harare to provide a forum to raise the profile of biotechnology usage in agriculture through discussions, networking and knowledge sharing.

Launching the chapter, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Dr Olivia Muchena said local scientists and scientific institutions must create platforms to raise public awareness and stimulate dialogue on biotechnology issues in the country.

Raising public awareness, she said, will pave way for the application of biotechnology to attain food and nutritional security goals outlined in the socio-economic blueprint Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).

“Zim-Asset speaks to the need to achieve sustainable development and social equality anchored on indigenisation, empowerment and employment creation,” she said.

“The National Biotechnology Authority with the assistance of the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) is expected to contribute to the attainment of the noble goal of Zim-Asset through application of biotechnology principles.”

University of Zimbabwe biochemist and AATF board chairperson Prof Idah Sithole-Niang said the launch of the OFAB Zimbabwe Chapter will help to connect fundamental biotechnology research with industry and secure the country’s competitiveness in the agricultural sector.

She believes that the forum can help foster the right kind of supportive environment in the Zimbabwe to catalyse and accelerate the innovation, commercialisation and growth potential of agricultural biotechnology.

“The platform provides a great opportunity to harness the power of agricultural biotechnology to drive change and create new collaborations that can provide solutions to food and nutrition security challenges facing the country,” said Prof Sithole-Niang.

“We are excited about the launch and we are looking forward to engaging various stakeholders to promote the application of biotechnology in agriculture.”
The UZ biochemist is optimistic that the launch of the chapter will move the agenda to promote biotechnology in the country and redouble agricultural production through providing innovative solutions.

“We need to apply biotechnology solutions to speed crop production,” she said.

“Controversy surrounding the technology has prevented Africa from benefiting from the technology.

“The GM crops still face gigantic public relations issues and it is my hope that stakeholders understanding of biotechnology will improve to help make decision-based on scientific facts and not fiction. Zimbabwe should not miss from benefiting from the promise that biotechnology hold.”

National Biotechnology Authority chief executive officer Dr Jonathan Mufandaedza said the launch of the Zimbabwe Chapter will create a platform that will bring together stakeholders in biotechnology and facilitate interactions between scientists, journalists, the civil society, industrialists, lawmakers and policy makers.

“We want to create a platform where scientists and other stakeholders can debate biotechnology for agriculture issues more openly and raise awareness among the people,” he said.

“We are extremely proud to be launching such a high-profile initiative which underlines our commitment and desire to share expert knowledge with other professionals here in Africa and abroad.”

NBA was chosen to host the OFAB Zimbabwe Chapter. The authority is now mandated to manage all OFAB activities in the country and to provide all secretariat duties and office space.

“We feel very honoured to be hosting the OFAB Zimbabwe Chapter,” said Dr Mufandaedza. “We are very humbled to be selected to lead OFAB activities here and I’m quite optimistic that the promotion of biotechnology for agriculture will go a gear up.”

OFAB aims to provide a forum to raise the profile of biotechnology usage in agriculture noting its potential use in staple food crops as well as to improve the quality of information available to the media and policy makers on agricultural biotechnology benefits and risks.

The platform also aims to forge strategic alliances for creating synergy and optimisation of resources through encouraging inter-institutional networking and knowledge sharing in the agricultural biotechnology space.

“We want to contribute to informing policy decision making processes on matters of agricultural biotechnology through provision of factual, well researched and scientific information and participating in policy discussion,” Dr Mufandaedza said.

OFAB also targets to improve communication across all sectors interested in biotechnology for African agriculture.

NBA board member and legal expert Mr Regis Mafuratidze said promoting public education was crucial on issues related to application of biotechnology in agriculture.

“Raising public awareness through such platforms reinforces the general public trust in science and technology,’ he said. “This will provide a conducive environment for key stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences and explore new avenues of bringing the benefits of biotechnology to the Zimbabwean agricultural sector.”

Africa Bio chief executive officer, Dr Nompumelelo Obokoh, said the intensity of public debate and controversy between NGOs, scientists and governments has played a major shaping role in many countries in the public’s immediate negative reaction to GM crops and agricultural biotechnology.

“In Africa there is a lot of misconception,” she said. “Fear of the unknown and perception of risk is still a major challenge. We have seen benefits of agricultural biotechnologies especially to small-scale farmers in South Africa. Farmers are beginning to enjoy the benefits of biotechnology.”

“There is a communication gap in agricultural biotechnology and a proliferation of misconceptions,” she said further. “We need to raise awareness and educate the public. Responsible biotechnology is not the enemy, but starvation is the enemy. We need to give our farmers choices that will help them address a plethora of problems they face by giving them agricultural tools and new breeding techniques.”

African countries still show the least level of biotechnology development owing largely to the precautionary approach of governments in guiding the use of biotechnology in agriculture on the continent, researchers say.

Challenges which were identified as slowing down the adoption of biotechnology included inadequate funding and policy frameworks to support research in biotechnology, lack of clear policies on biotechnology to attract international partnerships and the protective approach of the regulatory frameworks in most countries.

For years advocates of agricultural biotechnology, notably genetically modified crops, have been at loggerheads with proponents of organic farming and other sustainable farming techniques.

Those against the new technology argue that the use of GMOs in agriculture could have potential negative effects on the environment and human health, as well as potential socio-economic effects on the livelihood of local communities.

The first OFAB was launched in Nairobi in September 2006 and since then, the platform expanded to eight other African countries that include – Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Uganda, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

Zimbabwe becomes the 10th country to join the OFAB.

OFAB was initiated in response to the need to create better understanding of a range of products, benefits and concerns associated with biotechnology and to provide an opportunity to African agricultural scientists and experts to use their knowledge to find lasting solutions to Africa’s pressing development problems.

It seeks to ensure that a critical mass of knowledge possessed by scientists is made available to policy makers and the public.

Said Nancy Muchiri of AATF: “This is a national program and it has nothing to do with international interest. It is about Zimbabweans and how they intend to move on biotechnology issues. It is about conversations, it’s an important forum to debate and let everyone have a say on biotechnology issues.”

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