Eat this or die: genetically-modified foods

"Should the U.S. force third world countries to accept genetically modified food to feed the hungry or send organic food?" was one of the topics of discussion during the bioethics conference at EMU.

Dr. Laura Powers, former international agriculture professor at EMU, now working for the U.S. Agency for International Development as agriculture and livestock technical advisor, in her speech said that the U.S. sent 15,000 metric tonnes of genetically-modified (GM) maize to feed millions of Zambians in hunger. Zambia is one of the many African countries that do not accept GM crops, and refused to accept the food.

The Zambian government called upon seven of their scientists to make a study on the GM maize. At the end of the scientific study the Zambian government announced it would not change its decision to ban the import of GM food, not even for hunger relief. Peter Masunu, spokesman for the Zambian Department of Agriculture said "the government was taking this precautionary measure to protect the local crop varieties and also feels there is a risk of losing its export market if it grows GM crops," Masunu continued. "So, as a precautionary measure, the Zambian government will not accept GM food." Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa said "There is no justification to give the people poison."

As the study of the seven Zambian scientists show, the main reason behind the refusal of GM maize was the fear that farmers may plant the maize and contaminate the organic farms. This in turn will affect the country's export to Europe who is strongly against GM food.

Powers, answering the question what she would do if she was the president of Zambia, said, "I would allow the GM maize in order to feed the hungry." When Zambia refused to accept the GM maize, the U.S. State Department said, "We are concerned that significant numbers of impoverished Zambians face serious food shortages. We stand ready to provide US food assistance to those in need. The government of Zambia should reverse its decision and accept our help."

According to The Guardian, "This decision is a triumph of national sovereignty. The U.S. has been putting pressure on countries to accept the GM surpluses produced by its farmers," said Charlie Kronick, a Greenpeace spokesman. Greenpeace on their report said "as long as supplies of non-genetically engineered grain exist, nobody should be forced to eat genetically-engineered grain against their will."

Dr. Kabiru Kinyanjui, presenting his response on the bioethics conference said, "There is a wide cultural deference between the creators of biotechnology and the people in the third world countries who are forced to accept the creation." He noted that Africans by no means were the part of the process of GM food creation, which Western scientists claim will solve the African food shortage.

According to the Norfolk Genetic Information Network, Africa's problem is not a lack of food. "It is that areas of surplus are often deficient in infrastructure (roads, railways) to transport food to the places where crops have failed." Ethiopia, often thought of as a place of famine, has generally produced more than enough food to meet its needs.

However, 2002 droughts reduced crop production in some areas, and Ethiopia did not have the transportion infrastructure to redistribute the food.