Stakeholder attitudes towards the risks and benefits of genetically modified crops in South Africa

The attitudes and interests of stakeholders involved in national public debates on the risks and benefits of genetically modified crops are having a significant influence on public opinion as well as public policy outcomes related to the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture in developed and developing countries. This article discusses the results of a perception survey conducted with South African stakeholders involved in the GMO debate in 2000 and uses them to explain GMO policy in South Africa in 2004. The results suggest that academia, government, producer and consumer organizations and industry in South Africa strongly believe in the benefits of GM crops, while non-governmental organizations and churches do not. Instead, the latter emphasize the potential risks that, they claim, the government does not address with its permissive policy toward GMOs. The paper concludes that South Africa has become an African leader in promoting as well as in opposing modern biotechnology in agriculture. At the same time, the domestic debate on GMOs continues to be very polarized. The South African government may reassume public leadership by designing a biotechnology policy that aims at minimizing the risks and maximizing the benefits of the technology not just in terms of economic growth but also environmental conservation and poverty alleviation.