Africa: Are GM Foods a Solution for Continent's Food Problem?

17 November 2010

The debate about whether or not Africa should turn to genetically modified (GM) food production as a measure to end hunger has been going on for several years now. The big question is why is the issue of adopting what clearly appears to be a short cut to the continent's huge hunger problem taking so long to be decided upon what appears to be the miracle solution to a problem they are otherwise working in vain to solve?

GM organisms are developed in laboratories by slicing genes from unrelated species into the host organism - unlike in the natural breeding system where select plants or animals with desirable traits are crossbred within a species to produce better crops or animals. Many scientists, like Andrew Taynton of Safe Age, a South African consumer movement, believe that there is a big risk in consuming GM foods.

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