Friday, July 22, 2011

GMO maize to solve humanitarian crisis in Kenya

The Government has allow imports of Genetically Modified Crop (GMOs)of Maize to save Kenyans from severe starvation that has hit the country. This has caused a lot of debate on whether it is safe or not for human consumption. Whether safe or not millions of Kenyans are starving and will eat anything that is edible, their animals have died, no grass or bush to feed on. They are only left with wild fruits which is not enough, those who have been reached by relief food from the Government and International organizations like Red Cross are lucky to change their menu. This humanitarian crisis that has hit the country has been worsened by thousands of refugees getting in from Somalia daily. This high influx of refugees from Somalia is posing a high security risk because of Al-Shabaab.

Now with the debate of GMOs on, I believe many Kenyans and refugees who are faced with starvation and high cost of living due to drought welcome this news of imported food, without caring whether it is good or bad for health. They will not listen to environmental and food security activists who support organic agriculture practice by farmers instead of GMOs. To get information on advantages and disadvantages of GMOs, I searched and got information from some web pages like this one.
And African Agriculture web

Why go for GMO that is said to cause health problems and not go the bumper harvest of maize in Tanzania and Malawi. Is it because it is cheaper, cheap can be expensive in the long run. For now may be it can temporarily solve the problem, but the Government has been told time and again to come up with a long term solution. I think bore holes and green houses all over the country can help a lot.

2 comments:

Kenyan Gulf Jobs said...

I second madam Beth Mugo. " WHY SHOULD WE ALLOW TO BE USED AS GUINEA PIGS"

Anonymous said...

People are about to be in for a rude shock. That educated fool on Tv talking about " I ate GMO in South Africa and I didn't die." should've added "Yet!"
Africa DOES NOT NEED GMO!
Kenyans need to understand that when you surrender your food security over to corporations like MONSANTO (who are the same company behind Agent Orange that killed the biosphere during Vietnam and the same responsible for pollution that has left minority communities,like the community in ANISTON full of PCBs,the same company behind RBGH - Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone,and other atrocities ),you are for lack of a better word,are DEAD.

People need to investigate GMO and companies like this,find out whats happening with farmers in the US & Soya,Indian farmers and Cotton in India - the genetic modifications will creep into the indigenous plant population and then this company will own the seed of our country. SAY NO TO GMO - to hell with MONSANTO! on Tv talking about " I ate GMO in South Africa and I didn't die." should've added "Yet!"
Africa DOES NOT NEED GMO!
Kenyans need to understand that when you surrender your food security over to corporations like MONSANTO (who are the same company behind Agent Orange that killed the biosphere during Vietnam and the same responsible for pollution that has left minority communities,like the community in ANISTON full of PCBs,the same company behind RBGH - Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone,and other atrocities ),you are for lack of a better word,are DEAD.

People need to investigate GMO and companies like this,find out whats happening with farmers in the US & Soya,Indian farmers and Cotton in India - the genetic modifications will creep into the indigenous plant population and then this company will own the seed of our country. SAY NO TO GMO - to hell with MONSANTO!