ANGOLA BANS GM CEREAL IMPORTS,
MAURITIUS MOVES ON LEGISLATION
BRIDGES Trade BioRes, Vol. 4 No. 6 2 April, 2004

Angola became the latest African country to ban the import of genetically modified (GM) seeds and grain, including in GM food aid, unless they are milled prior to arrival. The country thereby joined Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho, which had set the same conditions for imports in 2002 (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 27 June 2002, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/02-06-27/inbrief.htm). Zambia continues to ban the import even of milled GM cereals. The Angolan standard setting body has called for the establishment of national biosafety regulations on the sale of transport of GMOs, which should be based on the precautionary approach and conform to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) recommendations on biotechnology and biodiversity, according to the body's Chairman Gome Cardoso.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly of Mauritius on 23 March adopted the Genetically Modified Organisms Bill, which regulates the imports and use of GMOs in the country. "Thanks to this bill, Mauritius will be able to use biotechnology to improve its agricultural efficiency, but it will, above all, allow better protection for the consumers, environment and biodiversity", said Paul Raymond Bérenger, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. The opposition, however, was more cautious, pointing to limited scientific and human resources for the bill to be effective.

The SADC recommendations are available at
http://www.sadc.int/fanr.php?lang=english&path=fanr/
agrres&page=sadc_bio
technology_gmo.

"Angola's plan to turn away altered food imperils aid," NYT, 30 March
2004; "Angola calls for GMO legislation," PANA, 24 March 2004;
"Mauritius' legal framework for GMOs," L'EXPRESS, 30 March 2004;
"Mauritian Parliament adopts bill on GMOs," PANA, 24 March 2004