ANTI-GMO lobby groups have welcomed governments rejection of Monsanto’s Triple stacked GM drought tolerant maize. Local group Biowatch, who was among the many organisations and individuals that objected to the maize, said it was relieved that the application for a general release permit for Monsanto’s maize ws rejected.
“We objected to the GM maize as it will not safe-guard farmers in South Africa, or in the region, from the impacts of drought, as the effectiveness of the so-called DroughtGard gene in the stack (MON87460) has been widely criticised. Even the usually pro-GM US Department of Agriculture (USDA), noted that DroughtGard is unlikely to be more effective than conventionally bred varieties. This criticism was confirmed in the paucity of proof/lack of evidence coming from the field trial data in South Africa,” said Biowatch SA.
According to reports, the Executive Council GMO Act, refused to authorize the GM maize for commercial growing, as it found that the data provided by Monsanto was insufficient to demonstrate the claimed drought tolerant and insect resistant efficacy of the GM event. The council found that the drought tolerant field trial data presented by Monsanto for trials conducted over a period of 5 years (2014-2018) in Hopetown, Orania, Lutzville and Malelane, were sorely wanting.
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African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) ‘s Executive Director, Mariam Mayet said: “We are elated with this decision, as we have consistently disputed the veracity of Monsanto’s claims of increased yield performance of MON87460 under water-limited and water-scarce conditions in South Africa. We remain hopeful that we may be taking an important corner in South Africa as evidence emerges of the failure of GM technology. Studies are consistently showing resistance of the African maize stalkborer pest (Busseola fusca) to GM Bt insecticidal maize of single-gene and stacked-gene types.”
MON 87460 stems from a Monsanto/Gates Foundation project, WEMA project. The project is being implemented in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique, and purports to offer the GM drought tolerant maize to smallholder farmers in Africa as a ‘Climate Smart’ solution to abiotic stresses such as drought. Wild unscientific and unsubstantiated claims have also been made by various scientists associated with the project that Bt maize varieties under the project is a solution to combat the fall army worm (FAW).
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