Prominent agriculture figure says GMOs do not belong in Africa, organic biodiversity is the way

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: GMOs, Africa, health news

(NaturalNews) Genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) do not belong anywhere on the continent of Africa, and the only groups pushing for their implementation are multinational biotechnology companies like Monsanto whose insatiable lust for new "frankencrop" markets is never satisfied. These are essentially the words of Anne Maina, advocacy coordinator for the international charity organization African Biodiversity Network, in response to recent proposals by stakeholders of the Zambian government to introduce GMOs in that country.

"Everything that genetic engineering has claimed to offer can readily be achieved through safer methods such as non-GM breeding, intercropping and creative innovation," wrote Maina in an email statement to The Post Online. "We do not believe that top-down technological solutions will solve the many challenges that Kenyan farmers face. This one-size-fits-all solution cannot attend to our varied needs."

Monsanto's marketing materials, of course, tell a different story entirely. The company's lofty and deceptive claims about its products make it seem as though farmers everywhere are literally chomping at the bit to get their hands on the latest variety of GM soy or corn. But according to Maina, this could not be further from the truth.

"Eighty percent of Africa's small-scale farmers depend on seed saving, so patented crops present a threat to their food security and way of life," said Maina. "We have clearly seen how farmers who grow a diversity of crops using organic farming techniques become much more food secure than on conventional or GM varieties, where expensive seeds and chemicals must be purchased each season."

Not only are biotechnology companies at the helm of the GMO agenda, but so is the US government, according to leaked documents released back in December. These documents explain how the Pentagon's AFRICOM military command post has been tasked with seizing control of Africa's natural resources, and also paving the way for the proliferation of GMOs there -- this clearly illustrating the intimate relationship between the US government and the biotechnology industry (https://www.naturalnews.com/030683_GMOs_Afric...).

"The push for GM crops in Kenya has not come from the farmers," added Maina, concerning the recent introduction of GM corn there. "It has come from the GM companies desperate for new markets in Africa after their wholesale rejection in Europe. Africa is not the place for GM crops."

Sources for this story include:

http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article....