THIRD WORLD NETWORK BIOSAFETY INFORMATION SERVICE   

Dear friends and colleagues, 

Re: Implications and challenges of GM crops in Africa 

We are pleased to highlight two papers published in a scientific volume on the ecological effects, on a landscape scale, of GM crop cultivation. The papers look at the co-existence challenges in small-scale farming when farmers share and save seed, and the implications of GM crops in subsistence-based agricultural systems in Africa.  

The first paper presents preliminary investigations from a small-scale maize farming community in Zambia, to illustrate the significance of seed saving and sharing for patterns of gene flow (Item 1). Given the high density, small sizes and close distances between fields observed, non-GM fields would rapidly be cross-contaminated by pollen flow. Moreover, open pollinated varieties have higher outcrossing rates than hybrids, hence farming practices that use an increasing proportion of open pollinated varieties/landraces will be more vulnerable to cross-contamination by pollen. 

The practice of re-using seeds was a common feature among the farmers and was seen as an important part of local food security and independence. The farmers re-used not only local maize varieties, but sometimes also commercial hybrid varieties, linking the formal and informal seed systems. Thus, although transgenes would likely be introduced as commercial hybrid seeds in the formal seed system, they might eventually find their way into the informal seed system. The combination of pollen flow and the tradition to re-using seeds would potentially spread and keep transgenes, if introduced, in circulation from year to year.  

The practice of sharing seeds with family members and friends was also common, primarily within the local community. In a GM maize scenario, seed sharing would spread transgenes quickly within the community, and also across communities as exemplified by a farmer sharing seeds up to a distance of 100 km. This would mean that the diffusion of transgenes would not be limited to the community of introduction, but also lead to spread across a larger region.  

Both pollen flow between closely positioned maize fields, and sharing of seeds between farmers represent high rates of gene flow. Thus, the paper concludes, if transgenes are introduced into small-scale agricultural contexts, uncontrolled diffusion and further spread seems unavoidable, while removal of transgenes as well as the regulatory implications are highly challenging. 

The second paper concludes that the potential introduction of GM crops into small-scale farming in Africa would lead to huge consequences from emerging ecological, economic and trade impacts (Item 2). From an ecological perspective, GM crops would lead to uncontrolled large-scale spread and persistence of transgenes within the small-scale agricultural systems in Africa, with unpredictable recombination and evolution in crop meta-population. Socio-cultural implications relate to intellectual property rights, which threaten traditional seed use patterns. Impurities in harvest would prevent development and export options. Major challenges in regulatory decision-making are envisaged since traceability, administrative regulation and resistance management regimes are difficult to impossible. The paper therefore makes a strong call for a precautionary approach to biosafety in the face of uncertainty.  

With best wishes, 

Lim Li Ching 

Third World Network

131 Jalan Macalister

10400 Penang

Malaysia

Email: twnet@po.jaring.my

Website: www.biosafety-info.net and www.twn.my

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Item 1 

Breckling, B. & Verhoeven, R. (2013) GM-Crop Cultivation – Ecological Effects on a Landscape Scale. Theorie in der Ökologie 17. Frankfurt, Peter Lang. 

Co-existence challenges in small-scale farming when farmers share and save seeds 

Thomas Bøhn^1,5, Denis W. Aheto², Felix S. Mwangala³, Inger Louise Bones¹, Christopher Simoloka³, Ireen Mbeule³, Odd-Gunnar Wikmark¹, Gunther Schmidt⁶ & Ignacio Chapela^1,4 

¹ GenØk – Centre for Biosafety, Tromsø, Norway; ² School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; ³ National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research, Zambia; ⁴ University of California, Berkeley, US; ⁵ University of Tromsø, Norway; ⁶ University of Vechta, Germany 

Abstract 

Gene flow by means of pollen and seeds in maize influences local, regional and global maize biodiversity. Developing countries are centers of diversity for maize and preserve seeds also in informal seed systems. Particularly in poor communities, seed saving and sharing often co-occur with farming on small fields. We present preliminary investigations from a small-scale maize farming community, in Chongwe, Zambia, to illustrate the significance of seed saving and sharing for patterns of gene flow. The potential introduction of genetically modified (GM) plants brings in new dimensions of challenges for farmers e.g. related to: i) co-existence of GM and non-GM varieties; ii) potential infringement of intellectual property rights; and iii) trans-boundary movement of products to countries that do not accept certain GM products. Small-scale farming is vulnerable to cross-contamination due to limited separation between fields. If transgenes are introduced into small-scale agricultural contexts, uncontrolled diffusion and further spread seems unavoidable. Removal of transgenes as well as the regulatory implications of transgenes would require control of innumerable small informal seed stores kept by farmers.

Item 2 

Breckling, B. & Verhoeven, R. (2013) GM-Crop Cultivation – Ecological Effects on a Landscape Scale. Theorie in der Ökologie 17. Frankfurt, Peter Lang. 

Implications of GM crops in subsistence-based agricultural systems in Africa 

Denis W. Aheto¹, Thomas Bøhn^2,6, Broder Breckling³, Johnnie van den Berg⁴, Lim Li Ching⁵ & Odd-Gunnar Wikmark² 

¹ School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; ² GenØk – Centre for Biosafety, Tromsø, Norway; ³ University of Vechta, Germany; ⁴ Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, South Africa; ⁵ Third World Network (TWN), Malaysia; ⁶ University of Tromsø, Norway 

Abstract 

Africa has deep contentions on the use of GM crops in agriculture, similar to those found in Europe and elsewhere. However, it is apparent that the debate is most protracted on the continent with two entrenched viewpoints i.e. the pro-GMO and anti-GMO groups. The challenge for an acceptable consensus is attributable to a complexity of issues relative to the introduction of GM maize into small-scale farming systems that fundamentally relies on open pollinated varieties (OPVs) with broad genetic backgrounds and tolerance to diverse biotic stresses, and which is usually produced for the informal seed market. Other factors relate to the generally low capacity of African states and weak mechanisms for assessing the potential risks posed by GM crops. The lack of public awareness, participation and information sharing are additional limiting factors. 

These issues have weakened government and policy responses to the potential deployment of GM crops on the continent. This review draws on research-based evidence as a basis to comment on some key issues to inform the development of biosafety standards in African countries. We conclude that the potential introduction of GM crops into small-scale farming would lead to huge consequences from emerging ecological, economic and trade impacts if these issues raised are not taken into account in decision-making processes.