Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity has advised the government to maintain the highest biosafety standards.
The alliance says this will ensure upholding of Human Rights, maintaining national sovereignty, protecting economic market interests and prioritizing the health and wellbeing of people and the environment.
ZAAB Chairperson Emmanuel Mutamba has told Money FM News in a statement that in the past 14 months, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has developed a new draft of the National Biosafety and Biotechnology Policy, and is now forging ahead with the process of developing regulations for live Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Zambia.
Mr. Mutamba says the nation is witnessing how the NBA is being influenced by, and prioritising international and regional trade and policy lobbyist, whilst minimising the policy opinion of national stakeholders.
Mr. Mutamba says the alliance has strongly objected to the recent moves by the National Biosafety Authority to radically change the national position on genetic engineering in the food and agriculture sector.
“We demand that the NBA consult the people of Zambia if indeed they actually want the National Position of No-GMOs revoked, before continuing to forge ahead with proposed new policy and regulations that are incongruous with current national opinion. We reject the influence of the African Biodiversity Network of Experts (ABNE) in the formation of our policy and law and call on the governing Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to intervene appropriately,” he said.
He called on the NBA to stop prioritising the interests and policy stance of international and regional institutions over and above national interest groups and policy experts.
He further called on the Ministry of Higher Education to explain how the country will compensate financially for the opportunity costs of export market losses after Zambia loses its GMO free reputation.
“Therefore – as people of faith, in agriculture training institutions, civil society, farmers and consumers alike, we raise our voice of concern at the NBAs determined attempts to weaken biosafety standards regardless of public opinion and interests. We support our leaders in their efforts to prioritise the interests of Zambia’s farmers and diversify the agriculture sector to enable sustainable and healthy production systems,” said Mr. Mutamba.
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