Syngenta to delay GMO distribution in South Africa

Swiss biotech firm Syngenta will delay distributing genetically modified maize in South Africa this year pending a government hearing of a complaint by an environmental group, the company said on Monday.
Syngenta persuaded the Pretoria High Court to push back a Department of Agriculture appeals board hearing by several weeks until September 14-15, and agreed not to distribute the modified maize until after that date, said Vincent Volckaert, managing director of Syngenta Seed Co Ltd.
"This is a voluntary agreement by Syngenta," Volckaert said.
South African pressure group Biowatch appealed against the initial government decision to grant the maize a licence, arguing that required environmental studies had not been completed for the controversial seeds.
South African groups opposed to GMO crops have vowed to step up their campaign against the seeds, which industry analysts say could account for as much as 50 percent of the total maize crop within five years.
One season's crop of the Syngenta GMO maize has been harvested in South Africa, and Biowatch is trying to stop its distribution to consumers and prevent the next season's crop from being planted.
"The permit should never have been granted," said Biowatch researcher Elfrieda Pschorn-Strauss. "They didn't do a proper environmental impact assessment."
The appeal board could take up to a month to take a decision, which could make it too late for many farmers to plant the crop, she said.
South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that produce GMO white maize for human consumption, and unlike many of its neighbours the government has given broad backing to the technology.
Campaigners such as Biowatch say labelling of the GMO produce including maize and soya is only voluntary and so people often do not know what they are eating.
They also say there is a risk of contaminating the environment. Across the wider region, some countries such as Zambia ban GM food imports or food aid, while others welcome them.
Volckaert said Syngenta saw no reason to block its GMO seed from South African consumers, arguing that the company had fully complied with government laws on bringing the seed to market.
"Last year demand was much higher than we could supply," Volckaert said, adding that the company planned to bring expert witnesses to the September hearing to attest to safety of the GMO seed.
"We fully applied with all applicable laws that were required," he said.