Civil society petition EALA over biosafety Bill Posted by: In2EastAfrica Reporter in Uganda, 31 May 2013 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have petitioned the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to use its political and diplomatic leverage to cause an overhaul of Uganda’s Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill, 2012. The bill is meant to provide mechanisms to regulate research, development and generate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The bill is meant to provide mechanisms to regulate research, development and generate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The CSOs want the Bill to reflect Uganda’s commitment to international conventions on GMOs like the Convention on Biological Diversity, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and Farmers’ Rights. The contentious Bill currently under scrutiny by the Science and Technology committee of the Ugandan parliament is meant to provide mechanisms to regulate research, development and generate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In their petition to the regional parliament’s committee of Agriculture Tourism and Natural Resources on Thursday, the 62 CSOs under their umbrella body – Food Rights Alliance – contend that the biosafety bill in its current form will make Uganda’s foot security subservient to the whims of external market forces. Raising doubts about the need for GMOs in a country like Uganda with enough arable land and abundant water supply, the National Coordinator of Food Rights Alliance, Agnes Kirabo, said the bill does not adequately safeguard against the health and safety challenges associated with GMOs. “We implore you to use your powers to help shape the draft law under scrutiny,” Kirabo said, adding, “GMOs will become a real security threat because our farmers will become dependent on Multinational seed companies like Monsanto as traditional healthy foods vanish.” According to Dr. Giregon Olupot of Makerere University’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Daniel Maingi – a former Monsanto employee, peasants will be obligated to buy expensive patented seeds every season, thus pushing millions below the bread line. EALA MPs Dan Kidega and Christophe Bazivamo said the need to protect organic crop and animal varieties ought to be deemed a strategic issue. “We intend to draft a template law at a regional level to regulate GMOs in the East African Community,” Kidega said. Although Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya have already drafted laws to regulate GMOs, any law drafted by EALA takes precedence according to the protocol on the establishment of the community. The bulk of Uganda’s agricultural products find market in the European Union which has a strict legal framework regulating GMOs. With the State Minister for Planning, Matia Kasaija, recently informing MPs on the National Economy committee that enacting the Biosafety Bill into law is “an obligation and not a choice,” Uganda has a catch-22 situation on its hands. By Moses Walubiri, The New Vision
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:00:10 +0000
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