Safety underpins new EAC biotechnology strategy

Demonstrators in support of GMO comprising of science researchers and students, academicians as well as farmers take part in peaceful procession seeking to give a voice to the ongoing debate on the Government move to lift a ban on GMOs in Nairobi on February 10, 2023.[FILE]

Some biotech products, possibly containing synthetic molecules, may be circulating already in certain East African Community (EAC) Partner States … says Dr. Willy Tonui who is currently leading the development of a new strategy that will harmonize the biotechnology framework for the EAC and streamline the sector.

The exercise is being undertaken under the auspices of East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO). He notes that while some countries globally approve products from biotechnology many EAC Partner States are yet to develop mechanisms to approve them. He cautions that the presence of unapproved biotech products does not guarantee their safety.

Biotechnology products are part of the global marketplace, shaping how we heal, eat, build, and live. However, as Dr Willy Tonui notes, these advancements also come with important responsibilities. Biotechnology must advance in a way that ensures the protection of human health, animal welfare, biodiversity, and the environment

By incorporating safety throughout its biotechnology strategy, the EAC aims to promote responsible practices in Africa. This approach is intended to protect human health and the environment, as well as support credibility and cooperation with international partners. The EAC’s ongoing emphasis on safety is positioned as a guiding principle for future efforts to ensure that scientific advancement considers societal needs, broad access to opportunities, and sustainable progress.

Once formulated, the Regional Biotechnology Strategy will lead to the establishment of the EAC Biotechnology Harmonisation Programme, says Dr. Tonui.

Having been approved by the EASTECO Governing Board, the decision to adopt the strategy currently lies with the Sectoral Council, which comprises the Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries of the ministries responsible for Science, Technology and Innovation in the region.

Worryingly in Africa, and particularly in Kenya, biotechnology is often conflated with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Sometimes the two are used interchangeably, both by the media and the public, signifying a lack of understanding of the concepts. This has spawned conspiracy theories and fanned fear around biotechnology.

While Kenya has met the standards for international protocols leading to the enactment of a Biosafety Act, not all the EAC member states have acceded to or domesticated these protocols. 

“Without these laws, countries stand the risk of using biotechnology products that have not been approved,” warns Dr. Tonui, adding: “Unregulated products may easily find their way into countries which do not have laws.” 

“It’s timely for the EAC to be looking at a regional strategy for biotechnology,” says Akile Sunday, the AUDA- NEPAD Senior Programme Officer. “It fits very well with the regional policies for biotechnology economy.”

The EAC is one of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) mandated by the African Union (AU) to facilitate regional economic integration.

 Akile notes that one of the challenges facing the implementation of biotechnology programmes in Africa is duplicity, where the AU is implementing the same programmes being implemented by the regional blocs. This leads to an overlap, says Akile.

This is an issue AUDA NEPAD is actively trying to resolve, Akile notes adding: “Instances of duplicity are quite common in the EAC.”

AUDA has the mandate of supporting African countries in building biosafety frameworks to enable them harness the tools of modern biotechnology safely.

In 2011, the Bill to introduce GMOs in Kenya was time barred, leading to a 10-year ban on the importation of GM foods. However, the 2023 Presidential directive lifting the ban only served to re-ignite the lingering GMOs debate.

While lifting the ban, the Government of Kenya stated that GMOs will enable the country meet the huge food deficit and lower the cost of living.

“Our analysis shows that the public is not engaged. They are not fully aware of what happens. A lot of people think biotechnology is all about GMOs. That is one aspect,” Dr Tonui observes.

He adds: “We are looking at a biotechnology policy or system that incorporates all forms of biotechnology at the crops, animals, marine, industrial related biotechnology. We are not limiting biotechnology to crops alone, but we are looking at the whole spectrum,”

According to Dr. Tonui, biotechnology encompasses a whole range of sectors, and predates GMOs

“Tissue culture is an example in East Africa. Development of insulin and other products used for wildlife and veterinary vaccines; Even Covid vaccines are products of biotechnology,” says Dr. Tonui

The harmonised EAC biotechnology framework could, therefore, serve to both demystify the technology and enhance safety.

“I think one of the big lessons that can be learned from other parts of the world is that National and regional policies really do matter for economic development,” Says Dr. Michael Santos, Senior Vice President for Science Partnerships at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.

He adds: “The US has had a policy environment that is favorable to the formation of biotechnology companies and investment in biotechnology companies and that has been a major source of economic growth and job growth.”

The eight EAC members states— Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Somalia— have, through stakeholder meetings, contributed to the strategy by offering feedback in country level meetings.

Dr. Sylvance Okoth, the Executive Secretary at the Kigali based EASTECO, notes that  biotechnology, along with sound biosafety and biosecurity measures, holds immense potential to transform key sectors of our economies — agriculture, health, industry, and the environment.

He notes: “But to realise these benefits, we must act in concert, guided by a shared strategic vision. The Regional Strategy is the product of a consultative and evidence-informed process. It reflects the aspirations and realities of our Partner States, and aligns with continental and global frameworks such as the UN SDGs 2030, AU Agenda 2063, EAC Agenda 2050 and other relevant global and regional frameworks and protocols.”