By Milliam Murigi
A new Africa-wide biotechnology and biosafety information portal has been launched in a move expected to improve access to credible scientific information and support informed decision-making on agricultural biotechnology across the continent.
Dubbed the Biotech Africa Database platform, by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA AfriCenter), the portal provides country-specific information on biotech crop approval decisions and summaries of key regulatory requirements for import, export and transit of biotech products.
It also offers, at a glance, a guide to application processes for the movement of biotech products across borders.
” This portal is expected to support informed decision-making, regulatory transparency, regional learning and the responsible deployment of agricultural biotechnology across the continent,” said Dr.Margaret Karembu ISAAA AfriCenter Director during the launch.
For many years, Africa-related biotechnology and biosafety information has been scattered across multiple agency websites, gazette notices and regulatory documents, making it difficult for users to access and interpret.
This has often created delays, compliance risks and uncertainty for traders, regulators and value-chain actors operating across borders.
The platform seeks to address this challenge by collating accurate and up-to-date information on biosafety regulations, approval decisions and regulatory processes in one place.
“This platform is particularly useful for traders, regulators, researchers and other stakeholders who require quick and reliable access to regulatory approval decisions and biosafety information,” added Dr.Karembu.
According to her, development of this platform is a monumental step in leveraging digital data for regulatory decision-making in Africa. Data sharing would help farmers and other stakeholders understand the progress being made across the continent.
She noted that Africa’s agroecological mapping has shown that some regions share similar conditions, making it important to share data to avoid unnecessary delays and accelerate progress.
“Today we have opened a door where data replaces rumours, where a farmer in Kampala (Uganda) sees the same biotech information as a researcher in Kaduna (Nigeria), as a trader in Johannesburg (South Africa) and as a policy maker in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia),” said Dr. Karembu.
Speaking at the same event, Dr. Paul Chege, a senior program officer at ISAAA AfriCenter, said the portal will support regional learning, informed decision-making, regulatory transparency and responsible deployment of biotechnology.
“For traders, it offers faster access to requirements for better planning. For regulators, the portal offers transparent reference points for peer-to-peer learning or risk assessment and compliance checks, and for researchers, it provides up to date country-level information to support regulatory planning for biotech crops research and development,” he remarked.
Dr. Andre van der Vyver, Executive Director of the South African Cereals and Oilseeds Trade Association (SACOTA), applauded ISAAA AfriCenter and its partners for developing the portal. He said the biotechnology and biosafety information available on the platform is timely for traders, as it will help them comply with regulations governing handling of biotechnology products.
