No GMOs for the Gambia ever, declares president

(NaturalNews) Only a couple of years after its Minister of Forestry declared that genetic engineering would most likely eventually make its way into the country, the Gambia in West Africa has now officially been declared to be GMO-free -- permanently.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh announced during his speech at the 2015 State Opening of the National Assembly that GMOs aren't welcome anywhere in the country, ever. The only type of agriculture that will be permitted, he says, is organic, which will sustain the Gambia as a viable exporter of clean, safe food.

According to allAfrica.com, Pres. Jammeh remains adamantly opposed to any type of genetic tampering with food in his country. He also maintains that organic agriculture is the only way to ensure food self-sufficiency and national independence in the Gambia, as genetically modified organisms are a Trojan Horse way for multinational corporations to seize control of countries' food supplies.

"I must emphasize here that despite our obsession with becoming a major food exporter after 2016, we will never accept Genetically Modified organisms in our agriculture," stated Pres. Jammeh during his address. "The Gambia is strictly maintaining organic agriculture for both our consumption and export. ... I take this opportunity to hereby declare The Gambia as purely organic agriculture."

Only chemical-free, independent agriculture is welcome in the Gambia

Part of the Gambia's "Vision 2016" program, which necessitates that all basic food items, especially rice, that are consumed within the country be locally produced, Pres. Jammeh's rejection of GMOs sets a bold precedent for true sustainability. GMOs don't benefit farmers, they don't benefit consumers, and they definitely don't benefit national sovereignty.

Nestled neatly within the West African country of Senegal and bordering the Atlantic Ocean, the Gambia is focused on developing an independent food system that empowers local farmers to grow all of the foods the country needs without becoming entangled in the corporate matrix of chemical agriculture.

In light of the dire situation in places like India, where tens of thousands of farmers have committed suicide after being contractually raped by the likes of Monsanto, the Gambia is taking the smart approach by telling the biotechnology industry to basically hit the road and don't come back.

"My Government continues to be committed to a very safe and secure environment in which all persons can move freely in pursuit of their lawful businesses without hesitation or harassment," added Pres. Jammeh about his vision for the Gambia.

"We will protect our borders, on land, sea and air and join the global efforts in fighting piracy [including agricultural piracy in the form of GMOs] and other unacceptable acts. This will continue to be part of our strategy for ensuring peace and security, both at [the] national and international level."

GMO Myths and Truths report unveils the full truth about the dangers of genetic engineering

For more on the dangers of GMOs, be sure to check out the Earth Open Source report GMO Myths and Truths Second Edition:
EarthOpenSource.org.

"GM crops and foods are easy to patent and are an important tool in the global consolidation of the seed and food industry into the hands of a few big companies," said Claire Robinson, one of the authors of GMO Myths and Truths. "We all have to eat, so selling patented GM seed and the chemicals they are grown with is a lucrative business model."

Sources:

http://allafrica.com

http://www.shout-africa.com

http://www.globalresearch.ca

http://earthopensource.org

http://science.naturalnews.com