Business Daily (Nairobi)

Africa: Continent's Food Woes Blamed on Europe's Hypocrisy

Europe's resistance to genetically modified crop production in Africa is a major challenge to tackling Africa's food insecurity, according to experts.

Dr Sylvester Oikeh, manager of a drought-tolerant maize project for Africa, told a recent science workshop that EU countries opposed use of gene transfer technology to improve food production in Africa because Europe had enough food.

He accused European countries of hypocrisy saying they promote GM medicines while opposing the same technology in agriculture.

"They produce enough food for themselves, and their need is to live longer. So, while they discourage use of gene technology to produce food in Africa, they use the same to produce drugs and vaccines," he told science journalists and researchers.

He added that there were also some "political issues" informing Europe's stand on GM foods, saying that African countries that export cotton were being held hostage as a result.

"They (EU) tell African countries that export cotton to them that 'if you grow genetically enhanced cotton, we will not buy'."

Following devastating droughts that have affected various regions of sub-Sahara Africa, proponents of GM foods have argued that improving the tolerance of crops to pests and drought through the GM technology hold the key to combating the effects of drought on the continent's food security.

However, promoters of organic farming have warned of possible health and environmental risks should countries adopt the GM technology without adequate research.

And that brought about the issue of regulating use of biotechnology. While GM foods are slowly finding acceptance among African countries, few have enacted policies and national regulatory laws to ensure the safety of both plants and animals.

"There have been anxieties and fears concerning the safety of genetically enhanced materials, hence gene technology, like other technologies, need to be regulated," Dr Francis Nyang'ayo, regulation manager at African Agricultural Technology Foundation, said.

Amid a heated-debate and caution by some non-governmental organisations, Kenya enacted a Biosafety Act in 2009, effectively putting in place a statutory tool to regulate the use and safety of gene technologies in the country.

Other countries which have laws for GMOs regulations include South Africa, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Among the concerns of anti-GM proponents is that no adequate research has been done to ascertain the human and environmental effects of GM.

They also argue that genetically altered crops could introduce foreign genes to conventionally grown crops through cross-pollination, hence "contaminate" them.

In addition, they cite the risk of emergence of organisms with enhanced resistance to anti-biotics, and the likelihood of toxic materials getting into the environment.But GM supporters say research done so far has not indicated negative effects of GM food on people and animals. GM technology involves changing the genetics of crops, by adding genetic materials from other plants with the desired property, to make the resulting variety more pest-resistant, drought-tolerant, have faster growth and produce more yield.The global debate about GMs remains fierce, with a number of European countries on the resisting side. French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007 banned the cultivation of GM crops.In South Africa, various court battles related to access to information about GM crops have been instituted since 2002.


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  • upliftdarace_144
    Jan 15 2010, 15:41

    Titled : THE ROBBERS OF OUR PEOPLE ARE FULFILLING PROPHECY

    [Daniel 11:14 ]

    And in those times :

    a) there shall many stand up against the king of the south(AMERICA / BABYLON ):

    b) ALSO the ROBBERS OF OUR PEOPLE shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; BUT THEY SHALL FALL !

    WHO BROUGHT THE SLAVES TO AMERICA ? [ http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/42787621/Who+brought+the+slaves+to+ameri ca?tab=summary] for full length video

    FRITZ SPRINGMEIER A Bold Christian Truthseeker The Top 13 Illuminati Bloodlines [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k73Q2_f4vKU ]

    THESE FAMILIES LIVE UNDER THE SIGN OF $$$$$$$$$$$$$ !!!

    3) 16 European Nations . Met And Plotted On How They Would Rob Africa Of Its Riches.

    * They met during two(2) Periods of time in two(2) places

    * The General Act Of Berlin Conference (Nov, 1884 to February, 1885)

    * Brussels Belgium to finalize SECRET agreements ( Nov, 1889 to July 1890)

    * The Book “King Leopold’s Ghost (1998) by Adam Hochschild documents some of This information.

    The following Nations (Households) - Planned how they would divide among themselves our AFRICAN Riches.

    1) Austria-Hungary - Francis Joseph I Charles - August 18, 1830 -

    2) Belgium - King Leopold II – April 9, 1835

    3) Denmark - Frederik VIII -June 3, 1843

    4) France - Marie François Sadi Carnot – August 11, 1837 -

    5) Germany - Wilhelm II -– January 27, 1859

    6) Great Britain - Queen Victoria (Hanover) – May 24, 1819 – British Ruler – 2nd

    7) Holland –William III – February 19, 1817

    8) Italy - Umberto I - March 14, 1844 -

    9) Norway - Oscar II [Oscar Frederik] – January 21, 1829 (Also Sweden)

    10) Portugal - Carlos I – September 28, 1863

    11) Russia - Alexander III Alexandrovich – March 10, 1845

    12) Spain - Alfonso XIII – May 17, 1886

    13) Sweden - Oscar II – January 21, 1829 (Also Norway)

    14) Turkey - Abdülhamid II, - September 2 or September 22 - 1842 -

    15) United States - Benjamin Harrison – August 20, 1833 -

    16) Persia (Iran) - Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar – July 16, 1831 –

    Just as Gangsters sell their debt, so have the old list of ROBERS changed over Time.

    Pray People. Trust In God..Not Your So-Called Leaders. Pray For Those Leaders Too.

    They Are Constantly Being Tempted To Think About Their Personal Satisfactions ;

    Rather Than The Future Of Their Nation. The Greatest Is Servant Of All !!!!!!!

    WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!

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    - Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]

  • whites do it better
    Jan 20 2010, 08:49

    We are sorry that our ancestors were intelligent, advanced and daring enough to explore the wild oceans to discover new countries and to concur and develop these.

    We are sorry that those who came before us took you out of the bush and taught you that there was more to life than beating drums and chasing animals with sticks and stones.

    We are sorry that they planned, funded and developed roads, towns, mines, factories, airports, all of which you now claim to be your long deprived inheritance so you have full right to change and rename these at your discretion.

    We are sorry that our parents taught us the value of small but strong families, to not breed like rabbits and end up as underfed, illiterate shack dwellers living in poverty.

    We are sorry that when they provided you with schools, you decided they looked better without windows or in piles of ashes. We happily gave up those bad days of getting spanked in our all white schools for doing something wrong, and much prefer these days of freedom where problems can be resolved with knives and guns.

    We are sorry that it is hard to shake off the bitterness of the past when you keep on raping, torturing and killing our friends and family members, and then hide behind the fence of "human rights" with smiles on your faces.

    We are sorry that we do not trust the government. We have no reason to be so suspicious and short sighted seeing that there has never been a case where any of these poor hard working intellectuals were involved in any form of corruption or irregularities.

    We are sorry that we do not trust the police force and although they have openly admitted that they have lost the war against crime and criminals, we should not be so negative and just keep on hoping for the best.

    We are sorry that we basically flung open our border posts, and now left you competing for jobs against illegal immigrants from our beautiful neighboring countries. All these countries that have grown so strong after kicking out the "settlers", you should follow their excellent example and grow big and strong like them!

    We are sorry that we don't believe in witchcraft, beetroot and garlic, urinating on street corners or trading woman for cattle, maybe we just grew up differently. So sorry that when we are forced into sharing the same establishments, sometimes we loose our temper, that is totally uncalled for.

    We are sorry that your medical care, water supplies, roads, and your electrical supplies are going down the toilet because skilled people who could have planned and resolved these issues had to be shown away because they were of the wrong ethnic background and now have to work in foreign countries where their skills are more needed.

    We are so sorry and should really try harder to be more tolerant and learn to get along with EVERYBODY around us, one big happy family.

  • foryohjonathan0000
    Jan 18 2010, 10:21

    It has come again wherein Europe is playing her different skin towards Africa. When is Africa EVER going to learn and skillfully listen to others who know how Europe plays their divissive and destructive political role to others. Europe from the begining NEVER wanted Africa to develop in any form ( be it Economically, Educationally, Medically ect ); they always want Africa to depend on them in all aspects so that they can continue with their exploitative and destructive behaviours towards Africa, and who are they to keep telling us and the continent what's best for us ???? Who are they??? Europe WILL NEVER tell Africa what's best for her if the said interest does not involve them as the King of decission makers. For example, look at the Crisis in Guinea; Europe have a vital hand play in that crisis. And if these continuation of destructions are going on against Africans by the Europeans, what are intelligent Africans, Intellectual Africans, African Elites, Wise Africans and our Governments are doing to stop these insults and other destructive acts by the Europeans towards Afrifcans and Africa as a whole ??? What are they doing ????