Lobby groups contest government’s move to lift ban on GMO crops
Lobby groups have expressed their disappointment on the move by the government to lift the ban on open cultivation and importation of white Genetically Modified Organs (GMO) maize.
Members of the Kenyan Peasants League (KPL), Kangemi Grassroots Human Rights Movement (KGHRM), the Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya (CGHRD-K) and Kangemi Family Reloaded have argued that GM crops are highly dependent on chemicals, pesticides and herbicides like Round Up that has been sued for its carcinogenic effects.
“We contest the argument by the Kenyan government that introduction of open trials of white GM Maize and BT Cassava is the answer to the problem of hunger and accessibility to food in Kenya since if that was the case, then why do we have a country like South Africa where despite their long-held adaptation of GM maize having the problems of hunger?” they posed.
They viewed that the government should focus on promoting banking of indigenous seeds which can be replanted after every season and shared among members without altering their nutritional benefit as opposed to GM seeds that require farmers to keep buying them every season which is not only expensive, but makes farmers very dependent.
“What we are saying is that it is high time the government started investing in farm-based research, supporting small scale farmers and peasant farmers, livestock keepers, fisher folk communities who are actually the ones who are contributing to the food on the table. The government of Kenya should invest in promoting banking of indigenous seeds and plant varieties instead of falling into the trap set by transnational corporations pushing for adoption of GM crops to meet their evil appetite for profit,” they claimed.
They demanded that the government immediately reverse its decision to lift the ban on open cultivation and importation of GMOs and address the issues raised by the Thairu Commission.
They also demanded the government to immediately start supporting banking of indigenous seeds and plant varieties as stipulated under article 11 of the 2010 Constitution.
The government ratified the Cartagena protocol which was adopted in 2000 and entered into force in 2003 that required Free Prior and Informed Consent of all stakeholders before adopting GMOs.
