Monsanto plans to dump GM wheat in South Africa

JUSTIN BROWN / Sunday Times (South Africa) 22jan04

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The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) alleged that US seed group Monsanto was planning to "dump" genetically modified (GM) wheat in South Africa.

On January 19, Monsanto made an application to the government for permission to import its GM wheat cultivar, known as Roundup Ready wheat, from the US or Canada, the ACB said in a statement.

Monsanto Sub-Sahara Africa representatives in Johannesburg weren't available for comment.

"South Africa's regulatory system is not capable of assessing the health impacts of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) introduced into the food chain," said ACB spokesperson Mariam Mayet in a statement.

The import of GM wheat into South Africa is dangerous and should be rejected out of hand by the government, Mayet asserted.

"This is an obvious pre-emptive bid to create a much needed market for its GM wheat, because none exists anywhere in the world," ACB said in a statement.

GM wheat is grown commercially nowhere in the world, including the US and Canada.

"This move by Monsanto belies the fact that the group is in fact struggling to obtain commercial approval in the US and Canada, because of the technical difficulties in the genetic transformation of wheat and the in the face of rejection by consumers and farmers in the US and Canada," ACB said.

In May 2003, the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), a farmer-controlled grain marketing agency, called on Monsanto Canada to withdraw its application for an environmental safety assessment of GM wheat and put the interests of consumers first.

Monsanto's application to the government comes at a time of widespread rejection of GM crops by the major wheat importers throughout the world, including in Africa.

Importers in Algeria, Egypt, the European Union, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia all rejected GM wheat, ACB said.

Globally, South Africa is a small producer of wheat and has to import wheat every year to meet its domestic consumption requirements.

Wheat forms an important part of people's diet in South Africa, and elsewhere in Africa, and represents an important source of carbohydrates, ACB said.

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|source: http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimes/business/business1074747954.asp 22jan04