…sets Target for Commercial Production
George George Idowu
Genetically Modified (GM) wheat, engineered to be drought-tolerant, is slated for field trials in South Africa during 2025 and 2026, following an application by Trigall Genetics.
The trials will take place at four locations, three in the Western Cape (near Moorreesburg, Protem, and Swellendam) and one in the Northern Cape (near Hopetown).
The GM wheat, developed by Trigall, a company owned by Bioceres, will undergo these trials as part of a plan to introduce it commercially by 2027.
Trigall’s application comes after a controversial 2022 decision by the Executive Council: GMO Act (EC) to approve the importation of the same GM wheat from Argentina for use as food, feed, and industrial processing.
This decision was made despite concerns raised by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and 86 supporting organizations from around the world, citing a lack of sufficient food safety evidence.
The ACB has expressed grave concerns about the environmental and health risks posed by the GM wheat, arguing that it could undermine South Africa’s food sovereignty and nutrition security.
According to Mariam Mayet, Director of the ACB, the introduction of GM wheat could result in widespread contamination of non-GM crops, which would be undetectable in products containing less than 5% GM wheat below South Africa’s labelling threshold.
“South Africans will not know they are consuming GM wheat and will be unable to avoid purchasing or consuming products containing it,” Mayet warned.
She further cautioned that contamination could impact wheat exports to neighbouring African countries, including Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Zambia, and Namibia, where GM wheat is not approved.
The ACB has also raised concerns over the adequacy of measures to prevent cross-contamination during the field trials.
Trigall proposes an isolation distance of just five meters and a monitoring period of one year, which the ACB argues is insufficient, referencing contamination incidents in previous GM wheat trials in the U.S., where gene flow was detected years after the trials concluded.
The objections extend beyond potential contamination. The ACB has criticized the field trial application for relying on outdated science and dismissing risks without empirical testing.
The organization also highlighted contradictions between the field trial application and a previous application for commodity import, casting doubt on the reliability of Trigall’s claims regarding the genetic modifications.
Furthermore, the ACB has questioned the efficacy of the wheat’s purported drought-tolerant trait, known as HB4, suggesting it may not work as claimed.
The group has a long history of challenging similar claims made by biotech companies, such as Monsanto (now Bayer), in South African courts.
Wheat is South Africa’s second most important grain crop after maize and is a critical source of carbohydrates and protein for millions of people.
The country is both a major importer and exporter of wheat, which is used in everyday staples like bread, pasta, and snack foods. The potential introduction of GM wheat has therefore raised significant concerns regarding its impact on the country’s food system.
On 26 September, the ACB submitted formal objections to Trigall’s application for field trials, calling for the proposal to be rejected.
The organization maintains that the risks to human and animal health, as well as to the environment, are too great to proceed with the trials as proposed.
