processed its applications through the South African Committee on Gene Experimentation, which was superseded by the GMO Act in 1999.

The country has an intellectual property system in place (Wolson, 2005) and is signatory to various international treaties and conventions. The legislation is similar to that of British and European legal systems. It has a representative number of patent attorneys, but only a few are qualified in biotechnology. The South African Patent Office is being upgraded from a receiving office to one for examination; it processes over 70,000 patent applications annually. This figure far exceeds the number processed annually by ARIPO (700-1000), the regional patent office for Anglophone countries. Given this level of activity by ARIPO, South Africa may be more inclined to establish a continental office inclusive of both Anglophone and francophone countries, than to seek to join the present ARIPO.

South Africa’s commercial market value for GM maize, cotton and soybean was estimated at US$146.9 million in 2004 (Runge and Ryan, 2004). There is an enabling environment for receiving and evaluating transgenic crops. Since 2003, South Africa has participated in the UNEP-Global Environment Facility project to bring the biosafety regulatory framework in line with the CPB. South Africa acceded to the protocol in 2003 even though it was not a signatory. As a party to the protocol and as a major producer, South Africa will need to comply with the CPB. Particularly as the country becomes a major exporter of GM grain or stock feed to some markets in sub-Saharan Africa in the near future. At stake will be the need for an advance informed agreement for commodity exports with importing countries that are parties. However, GM cotton lint, crushed maize and soybean for stock feeds will not require special handling under the protocol as these are nonliving modified organisms.

3.5      Trade, Markets and Globalization
Local, regional and global agricultural markets drive economic development and agricultural growth by providing an incentive for allocating resources to ensure the highest value production and maximum consumer satisfaction (Townsend, 1999).

3.5.1      Local trade and markets
Inadequate local trade and market conditions adversely affect agricultural productivity, profitability and investment. Weak input and output markets result in inputs that are expensive and not consistently available, as well as low producer prices; weak financial sectors limit access to credit for small-scale producers. SSA has traditionally suffered from weakness in these areas.

Sub-Saharan African markets are changing (Rosegrant et al., 2001); and the continent’s rapid urbanization and other economic, climate and demographic shifts will have significant implications for SSA agricultural production and markets. For example, the effects of urbanization on both the quantity and types of agricultural products demanded by domestic consumers may create new incentives and opportunities for SSA agricultural producers, wholesalers and retailers. The transition from subsistence-oriented agriculture to commercial agriculture for markets that are increas-