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Minister rejects bid to commercialise GM potatoes

Cape Town – Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana rejected a bid for the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) potatoes in South Africa.

Zokwana's spokesperson Bomikazi Molapo told Fin24 that the rejection of the SpuntaG2 potatoes was based on "socio-economic considerations".

In 2003 the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) made a bid to bring GM potatoes to the South African market, and initiated field trials.

The potatoes were genetically engineered to produce a toxin to kill the potato tuber moth, which attacks both the crop’s leaves and tubers.

According to Molapo, the modification did not yield any advantage in terms of pest management.

“The users, which were identified by the applicant as small-scale producers, would have been burdened to maintain an identity preservation system (to separate the crop from conventional potatoes),” she said.

The research into SpuntaG2 potatoes was funded by the United States Agency for International Development in collaboration with Michigan State University and the ARC.

The ARC made an earlier bid in 2009, which was also rejected by South Africa’s executive council on the GMO Act.

African Centre for Biodiversity director Mariam Mayet told Fin24 that the council cited a long list of biosafety, health, and socio-economic concerns at the time.

“They were concerned that it would give rise to new food allergies... that it would give rise to adverse effects in humans. They were also concerned about contamination of non-GM varieties and contamination across borders,” Mayet said.

“Much had to do with food safety health risks posed to the SA population as a result of inadequate testing.”

Despite public concern around the commercialisation of genetically modified foods, Molapo said the rejection of SpuntaG2 was not an indication of any particular concern around the safety of the genetic modification.  

The regulatory framework prescribes a case-by-case approach, said Molapo.

“Thus, the decision on the GM potato does not set any particular precedent for current or future GM crops,” she said.

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