Lesotho remains unwavering in reviving and finalising the Biosafety Bill, 2022, which is aimed at regulating the use, transboundary movement, and potential environmental impact of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The ministry of environment and forestry is currently working on securing final approval for the Bill, which was initially tabled in Parliament on May 17, 2022, by the then minister of tourism, environment and culture, Ntlhoi Motsamai.
The acting environment officer for programmes and biosafety, Maboi Mahula, yesterday underpinned the need for the law, lamenting it has been delayed several times due to parliamentary dissolutions in previous years.
Mahula explained that the Bill has now been referred back to the National Assembly for final consideration, indicating that this is the third time the Bill is being considered, after delays in 2015 and 2017.
He emphasized the urgency of passing the Bill, especially in light of the increasing imports of GMOs, which he warned could negatively impact Lesotho’s biodiversity and environment.
“GMOs change the landscape of seeds, and we risk losing our native varieties,” he stated.
Mahula also reiterated Lesotho’s commitment to international biosafety standards, citing the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, a global framework aimed at regulating GMOs to protect biodiversity.
“The Bill aligns with this protocol and aims to establish a robust national framework to manage the risks associated with GMOs, ensuring both environmental protection and food security.
“Once passed, the Biosafety Bill, 2022will establish aNational Biosafety Councilto advise the minister, createaNational Biosafety Tribunalto address grievances, and regulate the release of GMOs into the environment.
“The Bill also aims to safeguard human health and the environment from the potential risks posed by GMOs,” he noted.
It was among the bills which were overturned by the court after media practitioner Kananelo Boloetse and a little-known political party called Yearn for Economic Sustainability (YES), successfully petitioned the Constitutional Court to cancel the recalling of parliament after its dissolution, and to nullify all business conducted during the sitting.
Boloetse and his co-applicants later sought a declarator that Circular No. 5 of 2023 and Standing Order No. 202 of 2022 “purporting to reinstate, by motion or resolution, the Bills that were pending immediately before the dissolution of the past parliament, are null and void for violating mandatory law-making processes and procedures laid in section 78 of the Constitution”.
Local farmer, Sekila Molapo, voiced concerns over the lack of legislation to control GMOs, citing that while South Africa has regulations, Lesotho has no systems in place to monitor or control GMO imports.
Molapo said a substantial quantity of grains consumed in Lesotho are predominantly GMOs, all imported from South Africa; while70 percent of commercial production is cereal, maize and sorghum.
He cautioned that the lack of a regulatory framework in Lesotho for monitoring GMO imports could expose local farmers and consumers to risk related to unregulated GMOs.
“Even if we say we do not want GMOs, we have no control whether or not GMO crops are allowed into the country nor their production. The fact that we do not have a facility to test their safety does not help,” Sekila said.
According to the ministry, the purpose of the Bill is to provide for control and management of GMOs and their release into the environment;
The proposed law also seeks to regulate application of modern biotechnology; protect human health, biodiversity and the environment from harmful effects of GMOs.
It further aims to regulate importation and exportation of GMOs, prohibit engagement of genetic modification activity by any person without a permit; impose strict measures for risk management in the application of genetic modification, as well as set out a procedure for emergency and unintentional release of GMOs.
The Bill further intends to impose continuous monitoring and evaluation of risk of GMOs; provide for suspension and revocation of permit if required; provide for public opinion on any activity on GMO and make information dissemination (awareness) and education to the public on genetic modification mandatory.
In addition to GMO crops usually being frowned upon for concerns that involve allergies, cancer, and environmental issues, they have been a subject of debate on whether they profit or impoverish farmers.
Apart from being expensive to purchase and maintain – they require investment in fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.
Experts have questioned their sustainability as, unlike indigenous seeds which can be reseeded, genetically modified seeds are not for reseeding but once off planting.
