Protect small-scale farmers from GM crops

Lazarus Sauti

Governments and stakeholders in the agriculture as well as biotechnology sector in southern Africa must do more to control the planting of genetically modified (GM) crops that could affect smallholder farmers – key players in retaining diversity.

Small farmers are key players in retaining diversity. They farm organically and know enough to rotate through versions of staple crops, and to plant several kinds of crops at the same time to increase resiliency. 

Genetically modified technology is, therefore, unsuitable for these farmers and their systems as it is designed for the kind of large-scale, capital intensive monocrop systems that operate in industrialised countries.

Organic agriculture expert Fortunate Nyakanda admits the influx of genetically modified organisms drives smallholder farmers out of business.

“Governments must support small-scale food producers simply by crafting policies and laws that protect small holder farmers from genetically modified organisms,” she said, adding that “the rights of citizens must be respected as we deserve the same level of biosafety protection that European citizens enjoy.”

Nyakanda is spot on since most farmers in southern Africa are small, and seriously need support and protection from their respective governments.

She added that the GMO industry is rushing to take advantage of the lack of regulation not only in the region, but in the whole continent of Africa.

These smallholder farmers cannot afford to buy expensive GMO seeds, the fertilizer as well as pesticide treadmill they require. 

A report by the Friends of the Earth International, released in February 2015, urges African governments not to ignore the threats posed by genetically modified crops to local farmers.

“International agricultural corporations wield too much influence over safety and trade legislation related to genetically modified organisms in Africa. As a result, many governments ignore the threats these crops may pose to local smallholder farmers,” it says.

The report titled “Who benefits from GM crops? The expansion of agribusiness interest in Africa through biosafety policy”, adds that the laws are there or are being developed, but they are the wrong laws promoting the interests of the wrong group.

“The influence of pro-industry lobby groups lowers safety standards. Laws in many African countries are “essentially GMO-permitting” rather than safety focused,” it notes.

Report author Haidee Swanby, a researcher at the South Africa-based African Centre for Biosafety, which campaigns for food sovereignty, says the influence of pro-industry lobby groups lowers safety standards.

“Laws in many African countries are “essentially GMO-permitting” rather than safety focused,” she says.

In the Southern African Development Community, asserts the report, only South Africa grows genetically modified crops commercially whilst countries like Angola, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe have strict controls on the growth and sale of GMOs.

Most, if not all, of these countries are under pressure from United States agencies and funders such as the Gates Foundation and agribusiness giant Monsanto international to try expensive and insufficiently tested genetically modified organisms as well as to grow them commercially.

The report further warns: “A lack of strict regulation facilitates the spreading of untested genetically modified organism crops, which may still suffer from issues around toxicology and cause allergies, to neighbouring fields.

Agricultural expert Ronald Chimunda says genetically modified crops should be introduced in countries within southern Africa only after extensive scrutiny and screening so as to protect small scale farmers.

“This calls for strong reforms and revisions of regulatory frameworks that address the interests of smallholder agriculture and not just those of private companies,” he added.

Daniel Otunge, coordinator of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa at the not-for-profit African Agricultural Technology Foundation, sings a different tune.

“Genetically modified crops are as safe if not safer than their conventional counterparts,” said Otunge, who is also a development communication expert.

He added that “modern biotechnology is about science, not propaganda against multinationals.”

Sharing same views, a virologist who dabbles in biotechnology, science fiction and red Ed Rybicki urges government sectors in southern Africa not to treat genetically modified technology with suspicion, but to learn from other countries about how to implement suitable legislation so as to ensure that genetically modified organisms pose no threat to people.

“Genetically modified products should pose no risk to people if proper legislation is in place.

“Accordingly, instead of being averse to the technology, government leaders in southern Africa should learn from countries such as Burkina Faso and South Africa about how to implement suitable legislation, including the registration of genetically modified organisms,” he said.

The microbiologist also said government sectors in Africa need take steps to put a regulatory framework in place, which takes cognisance of long term implications of genetically modified crops on productivity, profitability, resource use, food security and equity. 

SADC member-states need to open up the debate on genetically modified technology to ensure sustainable agriculture; at the same time, the welfare of the majority of farmers should be protected with policies that are based on the best science evidence not suspicion.