A REPORT on genetically modified (GM) crops, to be published this week, has been slammed by the African Centre of Biosafety (ABC).

In a statement yesterday, the ABC said the report by the industry-sponsored International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) would present impressive figures showing a ballooning number of hectares planted to GM crops globally, including South Africa.

It would also show that South African farmers were growing 1.8 million hectares of GM maize, soya and cotton.

“These numbers appear impressive – as long as one does not look too closely,” the ABC said.

It said ISAAA’s report with regard to SA’s expansion of GM plantings relied on data provided by FoodNCropBio, a private consultancy firm in SA which supplied services to the biotech industry.

“FoodNCropBio’s figures are difficult to verify as there is no official record keeping by the government on the number of hectares grown to GM crops in the country,” the ABC said.

According to the Crops Estimates Committee, which operated under the aegis of the department of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, the non-segregation of GM and non-GM grains at silos made the keeping of separate records impossible.

The ABC said the ISAAA’s report was “ominously silent” about the crop failures that took place in SA during the 2008/09 season.

“These failures were caused by Monsanto’s GM varieties, MON 810, NK 603 and MON 810 x NK 603.

“These GM varieties failed to pollinate, leaving up to 200 000 hectares of maize fields barren.” ABC alleged that when these failures occurred, the SA government’s response was to give Monsanto free rein “to clean up the mess”. According to the ABC, Monsanto speedily compensated the affected farmers – “and silencing them with non-disclosure agreements – paid out 42m”. ABC said Monsanto also hastily submitted a report blaming the failure on the hybridisation process.

“The Executive Council of the GMO Act, which licensed these varieties, accepted Monsanto’s explanation without any independent verification or investigation, despite repeated requests by the ABC for it to do so.”

ABC furthermore said the health of South Africans had been overlooked.

“SA has the dubious distinction of being the only country in the world that has allowed the genetic modification of her staple food, maize.” The ABC said FoodNCropBio made “the disingenuous statement” in its annual report to the Maize Trust that, “some 4.5 million hectares of GM maize were grown over the past nine years, all without any substantiated incidence of damage to human or animal health, or to the environment”. The ABC, however, said the absence of adverse effects was more due to a “don’t look don’t find” attitude on the part of the SA government and industry, than the inherent safety of the product.

“The South African government has done no post-commercial release monitoring of GM maize in particular, on human health in South Africa.” — Sapa