KEEP GENETICALLY ENGINEERED WHEAT OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA For immediate release: 17 May 2004 KEEP GENETICALLY ENGINEERED WHEAT OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA BIOWATCH South Africa is concerned that multinational chemical and seed company Monsanto has not withdrawn its application to import genetically modified wheat to South Africa despite announcing it was to cease commercial production of this product worldwide. The South African government office responsible for issuing local permits told Biowatch South Africa this week that Monsanto's application to import "RoundUp Ready" wheat into this country had not been withdrawn and unless it was withdrawn the application would still be considered. More than 40 organisations, including the South African Council of Churches, the African Centre for Biosafety and Biowatch South Africa have strongly objected to this application. Should Monsanto's application prove successful, South African consumers could become the world's first to eat a product that has been rejected by countries across the globe. Genetic engineering has proven internationally contentious. Genetically engineered products have been banned in many countries because of fears that they may not be good for people or the environment. Genetically engineered wheat has proven particularly contentious in Northern Hemisphere countries where it is considered a staple crop. Monsanto last week not only announced the abandonment of its wheat programme due to consumer resistance, but was also forced to pull the plug on its genetically engineered canola breeding programmes in Australia following a series of state moratoriums on the practice. South Africa adopted genetic engineering in 1997 - with little public consultation, weak oversight and in an information void. While some countries have enacted strict labelling requirements so consumers can choose whether or not to eat genetically engineered products, these products were added to the South African staple diet two years ago without anybody being told. On May 24, Biowatch South Africa will be asking the High Court in Pretoria to order the Department of Agriculture and Monsanto to inform the country about the location of genetically engineered crops in South Africa and about tests that have been done to assess the environmental and health risks of what is being grown and eaten here. In papers, Biowatch South Africa states that it has been unable to obtain sufficient information to ascertain whether the proliferation of genetic engineering in South Africa is safe and compliant with South African law, the Constitution and international environmental standards. Elfrieda Pschorn-Strauss of Biowatch South Africa said: "Our legal challenge is about basic human rights - the right to know and to have a choice. It is about our government regulating multinational corporations and holding them accountable, not protecting their interests at the cost of its own people." Earlier this week, a Department of Agriculture Appeal Board heard an application from Biowatch requesting it to suspend the issuing of permits and harvesting of a strain of genetically engineered maize (known as Bt 11) produced by multinational chemical company, Syngenta. Biowatch South Africa is appealing against the issuing of these permits on several procedural and substantive grounds, including the apparent failure to undertake an environmental impact assessment and the simultaneous application for trial and commercial crops. Independent review also suggests that the risk assessment conducted prior to permit approval was flawed. The Appeal Board decision on this matter is pending. Meanwhile, civil society is being mobilised ahead of the High Court showdown set down for 24 to 26 May. The Environmental Justice Networking Forum is targeting Gauteng, North West, Free State, and Mpumalanga provinces for mass action over the coming days to raise awareness and encourage members of the public to demonstrate outside the court building. In the Western Cape, marches will be staged over the three days that the court case runs. - This statement was issued May 17 by Biowatch South Africa. For more information please visit www.biowatch.org.za or call Vicky Stark on 082 786 4240. Source : Ends /jc Date : 17 May 2004 14:25