Washington, DC — The United States and Zimbabwe have reached agreement on supplying emergency food to the famine-stricken southern African nation, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Walter Kansteiner told allafrica.com Wednesday.

"The government of Zimbabwe has accepted U.S. GM [genetically modified] maize with the proviso either that it come in milled or that, once it arrives in the country, it be milled."

Zimbabwe had refused to accept thousands of tons of genetically altered corn, despite a famine emergency, arguing that if some of the unmilled kernels were sown instead of eaten, they would begin contaminating Zimbabwe's indigenous crop. The Zimbabwe government said that would threaten the country's exports to Europe, which prohibits bioengineered foods.

Zimbabweans, as well as some international analysts, also fear that companies holding patents on genetically engineered seeds would seek to prohibit the traditional practice of saving a portion of the crop to plant the following season.

Asked specifically if Zimbabwe would now be accepting U.S. corn, Kansteiner replied, "correct."