COMESA forms first Biotechnology, Biosafety expert panel

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The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa has appointed its first Panel of Experts on Biotechnology and Biosafety to provide evidence-based guidance for member states and counter misinformation that threatens agricultural innovation.

The 12-member panel, endorsed this month by COMESA Ministers of Agriculture, will serve as a trusted technical body under the COMESA Biotechnology and Biosafety Implementation Program (COMBIP).

Its mandate is to deliver rigorous, peer-reviewed biosafety assessments to help governments make science-driven decisions on biotechnology products.

Speaking at the 60th African Biennial Biosciences Communication (ABBC) Symposium in Lusaka, COMESA–ACTESA Chief Executive Officer John Mukuka said the panel’s work is critical to ensuring that regional policies are anchored in facts rather than fear.

“This panel will serve as a vital counterweight to misinformation and disinformation that undermine public confidence in science,” he said.

And Dr. Mukuka has said that COMESA’s experience shows that with sound science, robust biosafety systems and effective communication, biotechnology can transform agriculture, boost resilience to climate change, and enhance regional trade in safe, high-quality products.

He has Kenya, Malawi, Eswatini, Ethiopia and Sudan as countries already commercializing biotech crops, while Rwanda, Uganda, Egypt and Zambia are refining regulatory frameworks to enable safe trade and commercial cultivation.

Through COMESA, ACTESA is promoting awareness, building capacity, and institutionalizing a regional biosecurity risk-assessment mechanism.

Dr. Mukuka has acknowledged ISAAA Africenter and the Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS) for supporting the establishment of the expert panel.

“The symposium reminds us that science must not only be advanced but defended through accurate communication and trust-building,” he said. “This platform helps us develop strategies to safeguard truth in science, challenge misconceptions, and ensure biotechnology delivers inclusive growth and sustainable development.”

Ends………………………..

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