AUDA-NEPAD, in partnership with the Biosafety Directorate of the Commission for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, organised a consultative meeting on biotechnology and biosafety in Ethiopia, from 29 – 31 October, in Addis Ababa. The objective of the meeting was to have deeper insight on the state of affairs on biotechnology from both the regulatory and technology side, and to refine planning for the delivery of biosafety services in the remaining part of 2020. The meeting also discussed the needs for 2021 that AUDA-NEPAD/ABNE may partner with Ethiopia to support biosafety service delivery.

Participants were government officials from the main institutions involved in biotechnology and biosafety matters in the country, including the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), the Ethiopian Biotechnology Institute (EBTi) and the Biosafety Directorate of the Commission for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

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During the meeting, AUDA-NEPAD highlighted the technical support it has provided to Ethiopia since 2012, and the impact that the engagement has brought in building a functional biosafety regulatory system for the safe use of biotech for agricultural and economic development in the country. The presentation also emphasised areas where this meeting ought to focus on, as identified by previous engagement with the leadership of the three institutions virtually and in person.

A subsequent presentation by the EIAR dealt with the status of agricultural biotech in Ethiopia and plans for moving ahead especially concerning the drought-tolerant and the insect resistant maize (TELA maize). This was followed by a presentation by the national regulatory body focusing on the progress made in putting regulatory and administrative tools in place and opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for making further progress.

EIAR presentation on biotechnology in Ethiopia

Salient issues discussed included regulatory pathways and timelines for product development and release, modalities for public participation and media engagements, understanding the profile and knowledge gap of members the National Biosafety Advisory Committee (NBAC) for capacity building, the need for additional technical experts for review of biosafety applications, suggestion of participants for the upcoming activities, and focus areas for workplans for 2021.

Participants of the meeting expressed appreciation for AUDA-NEPAD’s biosafety capacity building support to Ethiopia and called for more support for biotech regulatory capacity building, taking note of emerging technologies such as genome editing and gene drives which Ethiopia aspires to delve into, scrutinize and possibly adopt for a sustainable development of the country.