Zambia's Position On GM Food Intriguing

 The position of the Zambian government on genetically modified food has always statled me.They say this and do that with regard to GMOs. For starters, Zambia suffers perennial chronic food shortage mainly due to drought. This Southern African country still relies on outdated farming practices. It has not, yet,embraced modern farming technologies such as modern biotech, which guarantees farmers high yields,irrespective of prevailing climatic conditions.

Every time Zambia suffers crop failure, the government sends an urgent appeal, not to fellow African countries, but to the United Nations the World Food Programme (WFP), for that matter, and other Western donors such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund(IMF). Such food requests, however, come with a caveat, "No genetically modified food." It happened in 2002. Then, drought had ravaged Zambia's entire corn (maize) crop. The drought was so devastating that hungry Zambians had to scavenge on wild plants for survival. To avoid an embarrassing spectacle of Zambian's dying of hunger under his watch, the country's president, Levy Mwanawasa, sent an urgent food appeal to the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United States (U.S.). However, when the food reached Zambia/South Africa border, the government rejected it "because it was laced with GMOs." Without any supporting scientific evidence, the Zambian government argued that GMOs posed health risks to human beings and the environment.

Nevertheless, Zambia did accept the food consignment, but not before forcing WFP incur extra expenses to mill it, which prompted many to ask, "What really changed?" Did milling GMOs reduced their health risks? Not at all. This goes to confirm that anti-GMOs rhetoric is purely outlandish.

Since 2002, much water has passed under the bridge. Zambia has formulated laws to regulate transshipment of genetically modified food and set up a laboratory to test for the presence of GMOs in all foreign-procured food, all in the name of "protecting its citizenry from the dangers of GMOs?" Unfortunately, these so-called austere measures have not made Zambia self-sufficient in food. Just last week, WFP, announced that 1.7 million Zambians are suffering from acute food shortage and need urgent help. Hot on the heels of this announcement, President Mwanawasa declared the food situation, in his country, a disaster. As usual, President Mwanawasa will trun to WFP and Western countries for help. Will the Zambian government, this time round, revert to its old tune, "We shall not take GMOs?" If it does, it will be shooting its own foot because the U.S., where GM food is freely sold and eaten, is the greatest supporter of WFP programs.

GM food is safe to eat. Americans eat GM food. Canadians eat GM food. Mexicans eat GM food. Spaniards eat GM food. Argentineans eat GM food. South Africans eat GM food. Why not Zambia? Zambia ought not go far for evidence that GM food is safe to eat. In 2003, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in which Zambia is a member, set up a scientific committee, to assess the safety of GMOs to human and animal health. The scientists, unanimously, concluded that GM crops posed no risk to humans and environment. If Zambia can't take the advice of its own scientists, whom else can it listen to? It is not in Zambia's national and international interests to continue opposing GMOs, whose benefits have, already, been documented in such countries as South Africa, the Philippines, Mexico, Spain, Canada, the U.S. and Argentina.

 James Wachai

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