ENVIRONMENT EXPERTS REJECT GMO IMPORTATION MOVE
Lusaka, Sunday (April 16, 2023)
Environment Experts in Zambia have warned that importation of Geneticaly Modified Organisms – GMOs will eliminate indigenous crops that are more nutritious.
Centre for Environment Justice – CEJ Board Member Emmanuel Mutamba also says GMOs breed mechanization which transforms small scale farmers from producers to mere laborers working in commercial farms.
Mr. Mutamba, who is also Green Living Movement Executive Director, cautioned that Zambia would have all the productive means captured by multinational companies.
“The issue, around Genetically Modified Organisms – GMOs, has been a long debate in Zambia. I recall that Green Living Movement and other Civil Society Organizations regrouped around 2010 to push for a ‘No GMO Zambia’ for a good reason,” he said.
Mr. Mutamba said stakeholders realized a long time ago that having non GMO products for Zambia was a huge niche for a market that was looking for non GMO products and was necessary for a healthy nation.
“Research has been done that when you allow GMOs into your environment there are many uncertainties you expect,” he said.
Mr. Mutamba stated that in the agriculture sector, GMOs came with the use of different chemicals such as herbicide glyphosate which was banned in some parts of Europe and elsewhere but would be used as weed killers in Zambia.
He warned that the use of chemicals such as herbicide glyphosate had, according to research, been associated with cancerous diseases.
“We also want a healthy nation because we cannot develop if we have a sick population. Unfortunately, we have another section of society from the scientific world who believe that GMOs are going to enhance productivity in agriculture and increase on food security which is not true because Zambia has been able to feed itself for many years by small scale farmers,” he said.
Mr. Mutamba said 97% of the food in Zambia came from small scale farmers that were practicing traditional farming systems.
“But the potential for Zambia to be an important ‘sort after market’ for non GMO crops is huge. We should take advantage of that market,” he said.
Mr. Mutamba warned that Zambia would go into mono cropping if it ventured into GMOs, thereby taking away the nation’s indigenous seed.
“Zambia shall lose it’s indigenous food which is very nutritious,” he said.
Mr. Mutamba said Zambia’s indigenous crops were resistant to the effects of climate change, an area the country would do badly if it allowed GMOs importation.
“We shall have mono crops and huge mechanized farms of which our people will become laborers instead of being producers. There are so many challenges associated with GMOs as compared with the benefits,” he said.
CEJ COMMUNICATIONS UNIT