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Don’t allow importation of GMOs, Africa told
2006-04-10 08:47:35
By Patrick Kisembo, Morogoro
Africans governments should not accept genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be imported to their countries without thorough assessment done on the safety of such products to human beings and the environment, the newly launched Eastern and Southern Africa Farmers Forum (ESAFF) has said.
’We do not want GMOs,’ said a statement from participants from nine African countries gathered to form the forum, which is expected to air the voices and concerns of small scale farmers in the region.
ESAFF Chairperson, Elizabeth Mpofu from Zimbabwe said GMOs had not been proved to be good for the health of the consumers.
’We know some governments have accepted these products to be imported in their countries without finding out the long term effects on human health and the environment,’ she said.
It was a bad risk to just assume GMOs are good, she said.
’These crops could contaminate foods grown by small farmers and render their seeds sterile.
The only thing is to mobilize farmers to be against the move of the governments to import GMOs… our lands are still virgin and we could use them to produce healthy produce that have no bad effect on human health,’ said Mpofu, who is also the chairperson of ESAFF- Zimbabwe.
’We refuse GMOs because they have terrible effects on people and the environment, and there is no written evidence regarding safety of the genetically modified products,’ said Abel Yubana, leader of ESAFF- Zambia.
Zambia is the only country in the region which refused GMOs food relief Yubana said, Zambia refused the food because it did not see GMO products as the answer to their problem.
’But at the same time we did not have facilities and for sure many African countries have no enough facilities to detect GMOs,’ he noted.
He further said it was expensive and difficult to redress the dangers and safety of GMOs.
’It is from this that Zambia refused to take risks of GMOs knowing their status are not well known,’ he said.
The National Network for Small Scale Farmers in Tanzania (mviwata), National Co-ordinator, Stephen Ruvuga said that researches have proved GMOs have adverse effects on people and environment.
Ruvuga said if the governments would not reflect and rudely import GMOs, they would make their farmers to only depend on the GMOs technology, thereby killing their indigenous innovations developed for generations.
Prof. Jumanne Magembe, the Minister for Labour, Employment and Youth Development urged ESAFF members to be aware of the effects of the genetically modified organisms.
’Benefits for the GMOs are quiet clear, but the dangers are incredibly serious.
You know that when you use GMO crops you will get a very high yield, and the crops are drought resistance, they are free from diseases, and insects as they are made to suit such difficulties, but when you eat the GMOs you do not know its reaction in your bodies,’ he said.
’I am now speaking as a professor not a Minister,’ said Prof Magembe while warning ESAFF members not to rush into use of GMOs.
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