Africa faces tough decisions over GMOs

The mention of the words genetically modified organism (GMO) normally attract frowns among Zimbabweans.

In some cases, it sparks a certain level of panic, especially among small-scale farmers.

While the internationally held notion is that genetically modified crops and high technology farming could help combat food insecurity in Africa, Zimbabwe is among the African countries which have taken a cautious stance on GM seeds.

Over the past years Africa has been devastated by famines that have left millions dead.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says in the horn of Africa, more than 13 million people are affected by a severe drought that has led to food emergency while rising food prices added millions to the nearly one billion people worldwide who suffer from chronic hunger.

In Zimbabwe, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said food security was a “pressing issue” in August.

Due to extensive crop failure caused by constant dry spells and lack of other food or livelihood, districts like Binga, Kariba, Mudzi, Umzingwane and Zvishavane required immediate food assistance.

These challenges have caused a serious setback towards the achievement of the first millennium development goal to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

With rising food insecurity in most parts of Africa and the world’s current population of about seven billion people is expected to double in the next 50 years, and GMOs have been proposed as one of the ways to cushion the world from a serious food crisis.

At a Hunger Summit in the US state of Iowa, African farmers and leaders were encouraged to start making use of genetically modified seeds which provide more robust resistance to pests, are drought resistant and produce high yields.

Professor of the practice of international development at Harvard Kennedy School, Calestous Juma said biotechnology could lead to increased food security and enhance nutrition.

"In agriculture, biotechnology has enabled the genetic alteration of crops, improved soil productivity, and enhanced natural weed and pest control,” said Juma. “Unfortunately such potential has not been tapped by African countries,” said Juma.

So far, South Africa, Egypt and Burkina Faso are the only countries on the continent that have embraced biotechnology.

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton this week said there was a need to find new and innovative ways to get food “in the hands of more people and people should re-commit to ending food hunger” as her government embarked on a “Feed the Future” initiative.

Through the “Feed the Future” programme, the US government is working with partner countries, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders to improve access and availability to nutritious food.

So, does Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa need the genetically modified seeds?

However, Zimbabweans and the rest of Africa in general are still cautious about the technology.

The Zimbabwean government does not approve the commercialisation and planting of GM crops and requires all GMO grain products to be milled before being imported into the country.

Professor of Agronomy at Biosafety Institute for Genetically modified Agricultural Products at Iowa State University of Science and Technology Jeffery Wolt told the Zimbabwe Independent beliefs that GMOs caused obesity as well as cancer were just fears by people.

"We have done evaluations and we see no reason why these crops should not be considered safe because the risks are negligible,” said Wolt. “We cannot find any evidence of harm,” he said.

A report titled “Should Zimbabwe commercialise the production of GMO Crops” released by Hivos and the Zimbabwe Organic Producers and Promoters Association last month stated that genetic engineering alone cannot save the world from hunger and malnutrition but could be one of many strategies and technologies that could be pursued to feed the future.

The report further states that government needs to make informed decisions based on a number of considerations that include the science of genetic technology, the potential benefits and risks.

At the Hunger summit, philanthropist Howard Buffet cautioned that advanced Western technology is not a universal solution to fighting hunger in developing countries and just distributing the GM seeds in Africa could be dangerous.

"We need most appropriate solutions for every level of the farmers in Africa,” said Buffet. “We need credible assessments to be taken seriously. We fail with our ideas because we assume that what works here (America), Asia and somewhere else works in Africa. You can’t just take technology and think this is going to be great. This is going to work for everybody, everyplace,” said Buffet, who is the son of billionaire Warren Buffett.

The younger Buffet has collaborated with Microsoft founder Bill Gates to fund the development of biotech seeds that could be used in Africa, including drought-tolerant maize seeds.

"Seed is only part of the solution,” said Buffet. “Soil is more important. Simply distributing seeds without a soil fertility plan will eventually be a disaster,” he said.

Buffett said encouraging poor African farmers to adopt US farming methods could push them to abandon the crop diversity their families have long depended on and switch to growing just one crop, such as maize and that could leave their families vulnerable if the crops failed or prices of the crop collapsed.

An organic farmer based in Maryland, Joan Norman, said some GM seeds were not tested for safety to environment and humans.

As the GMO debate rages on, the number of malnourished people across the world, especially in Africa, continues to soar.