Co-existence of Genetically Modified and Non-GM Crops: Implications for Africa

The increasing global adoption of GM crops is engendering debate on the feasibility of successful co-existence of GM and non-GM crops in Africa. Although Europe and North America have debated and developed co-existence regulations and strategies respectively, African countries are yet to do the same. Co-existence regulations are not specific to the production of GM crops; they have been utilized for many years to protect specific harvests, ranging from colour of maize products and drift of pesticides or fertilizers to organic fields. Product segregation has also been in existence for centuries with producers cooperating to ensure crop integrity for specialized products. This article discusses regulatory approaches to co-existence, current arrangements in achieving product segregation, links between co-existence measures and identity preservation, cross-border trade and the role of regional economic communities in Africa. The article distils policy options that will provide safeguards for successful co-existence and proposes measures for managing the growing demand for different foods in the global market place. Some conclusions are that lessons can be learned from traditional practices to help ensure practical and affordable co-existence measures for new agricultural products. GM crops have been documented as having contributed to sustainable development in several significant ways, including contributing to the alleviation ofpoverty and hunger, reducing agriculture's environmental footprint, mitigating climate change, and reducing greenhouse gases. Co-existence is a complex process where a 'one-size-fits-all model' will not be effective in all growing regions. Current efforts to harmonize biosafety regulations should explore regionally appropriate co-existence strategies that would enable GM crops, which are in consonance with green growth, to be part of agricultural production systems.