"Biotechnology is the stuff of the 21st century, and we take it very seriously," Derek Hanekom, DST deputy minister told guests at the launch of the new platform which is based in Somerset West.
The government has invested over R900-million in biotechnology since the National Biotechnology Strategy was first published in 2001. But according to Dr Hennie Groenewald, executive manager of Biosafety South Africa, not enough of the investment has been converted into products.
"Where are the products?" he asked. "We need to bring them to market. At Biosafety South Africa, our ultimate goal is to stimulate growth in South Africa by ensuring that safe, sustainable biotechnology products, developed by South African researchers and organisations are made available."
Biosafety South Africa will support innovation in biotechnology by ensuring that the products developed by the industry are safe and sustainable. The organisation will also provide a much needed boost to the industry by investing in strategic biosafety research - an area which is traditionally avoided by conventional venture capitalists.
"We have both a national and international responsibility, and it is comforting to know that we now have a body and a mechanism with which to face up to these responsibilities, Hanekom said. "More than that, we have a vehicle by means of which creative and inventive scientific minds can actually bring innovative products and techniques safely and productively to the marketplace."
Because South Africa grows more than 50 000 hectares of genetically modified crops, it is classified as one of the world's 14 biotech mega-countries, the only one in Africa. These countries have a special responsibility to ensure that the potential impacts of genetically modified organisms on human or animal health, and on the environment, together with their probable socio-economic impact, are carefully measured, assessed and estimated before they are released.
The Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Act of 1997 goes a long way towards ensuring this, but biosafety is a highly specialised field that includes aspects of science law and business. It is clear that in order to get South African products to market quickly and safely, more support needed to be provided to the country's developers of genetic enhancement technologies.
"We are committed to making a difference to those who are struggling through the regulations and requirements of bringing biotechnology products to market," Groenewald said. "We will be supporting strategic research by providing guidance, advice and information to help ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements at all the various levels of GM research and development in South Africa."
This service includes ensuring access to current reference databases, assistance with regulatory applications such as registration of GM facilities and the trial release of a GMO, and advising developers of GM technology about the biosafety requirements and implications of their projects to help ensure an integrated approach to GM research and development.
"This platform will help remove many of the biotech hurdles currently faced by biotechnology innovators in this country," Hanekom said.
"There are exciting developments in the pipeline. For example the development of a drought resistant maize which will be a huge breakthrough for us as a country, especially as global warming means drought is going to become more of a factor in our already drought prone region.
"But this new product is undergoing field tests in Kenya. We must be careful that our rigour does not prevent the development of crops or products that would be a huge benefit to us."
Groenewald agreed. "We must be able to make decisions and to determine what is an acceptable risk. There is no such thing as zero risk - we need to decide what we are prepared to live with. Biotechnology can make a huge difference, and this is just the beginning of what we can achieve."
