Burkina Faso: Biosafety Law in Local Languages

Since 2008, Burkina Faso has positioned itself as a producer of transgenic crops with 2 to 4 millions of farmers involved in the production of Bt cotton. Most of these producers have low literacy levels, especially when it comes to reading French, the actual language in which the biosafety law is written. Burkina Faso has now embarked on a programme to create awareness on the National Biosafety Law. The law has been translated into the three most commonly spoken languages (Mooré, Jula and Gulmacema) in the cotton growing areas. The first phase of translation has been achieved and the National Biosafety Authority is planning to reach out to farmers with the documents and to train them on the existing provisions regarding the use and management of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the country. 6000 translated copies (2000 per language) consisting of summaries of essential extracts of the Act have been printed for distribution to farmers through extension services. The programme is sponsored by the West Africa Cotton Improvement Program (WACIP) and the Agricultural Diversification and Market Development Project.

Source: Crop Biotech Update, 21^st May 2010