Table
1. Government
departments and NGOs involved with disseminating information on GM foods to
consumers in South Africa.
(Taken
from the report: Detection of GMO in food products in South Africa:
Implications fo GMO labelling)
| Government Department | Description | Website |
| Department of Health (DOH) | To achieve a caring and humane society in which all South Africans have access to affordable, good quality health care which includes food labeling | www.doh.gov.za |
| National Department of Agriculture (NDA) | Ensuring access to sufficient safe and nutritious food and to provide an integrated national management system in support of sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture including the approval of GMOs through the Directorate Genetic Resources | www.nda.agric.za |
| Department of Science and Technology (DST) | The development of science and technology expressed through the enabling mechanism of the National System of Innovation, for communities, researchers, industry and government | www.dst.gov.za |
| Public Understanding of Biotechnology (PUB) (initiative of DST) | To promote a clear understanding of the potential of biotechnology and to ensure broad public awareness, dialogue and debate on its current and potential future applications, including Genetic Modification (GM) | www.pub.ac.za |
| African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) | Campaigns on the African Continent for GMOs to be subject to the most stringent biosafety measures and is committed to promoting the publication of the views and concerns of African civil society groups on the African continent and world wide on issues relating to biosafety and solidarity amongst these groups | www.biosafetyafrica.net |
| Earthlife Africa (ELA) | A membership driven organization of environmental and social justice activists, founded to mobilize civil society around environmental issues in relation to people | www.earthlife-ct.org.za
|
| GRAIN (Genetic Resources Action International) | An international NGO which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people's control over genetic resources and local knowledge | www.grain.org |
| National Consumer Forum Trust (NCF) | Dedicated to the protection and promotion of consumer rights and interests in South Africa | www.ncf.org.za |
| Biowatch SA | A biodiversity watchdog specialising in GMOs | www.biowatch.org.za |
| SAFCEI | A multi-faith environmental NGO |
Comment on awareness of SA public regarding GMO:
Despite GMOs being grown commercially in South Africa since 1997, there is very little consumer awareness – even with government and non-government organizations (NGOs) making information on GMOs available (Table 1). A Human Science Research Council (HSRC) client survey in 2004, found that 7 out of 10 respondents from a sample of 5639 who completed a questionnaire, had never heard of a definition for biotechnology (Rule and langa, 2005). In addition to this, it is evident from this and other surveys to determine consumer attitudes towards GM that consumers have mixed opinions of GM food (Kempen et al., 2003; AfricaBio, 2004; Rule and Langa, 2005). In contrast to this, there is strong consumer opposition to GM foods in the European Union (EU) and Japan (Carter and Gručre, 2003). In response to consumer pressure, many countries have introduced labelling regulations for GM foods (Table 2). Although GMO labelling does not have any bearing on the safety aspect of GMOs, it is used to give consumers a choice, between GM and non-GM, allowing them to balance concerns of morality and perceived risk (Ahmed, 2002). All GM food labelling uses predetermined thresholds, as it is not possible to ensure zero GM Viljoen et al. 75