The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has welcomed a decision by a South African Appeals Board to quash an attempt to commercialize genetically modified (GM) potatoes.

In a release, the ACB said it had vigorously campaigned against the Agricultural Research Council (ARC's) bid to bring SpuntaG2 potatoes to the South African market.

The group contended the potato, engineered to produce a toxin to kill the potato tuber moth, posed unacceptable risks to human and animal health, the environment and the farming community.

GM regulators rejected the ARC's application in 2009 citing a long list of biosafety, health and socio-economic concerns. These were challenged by the ARC in an appeal, which the council has now definitively lost.

"We have waited several long years for this decision and are extremely pleased that smallholder farmers will not be saddled with this unwanted and risky technology," ACB executive director Mariam Mayet said in the release.

The ACB highlighted research into the SpuntaG2 potatoes was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU) and the ARC.

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