The month of March 2023, has come and is about gone, but not without ushering in the much-awaited rains. While we are thankful of the rains, we cannot help but notice the manifestation of weather extremes (climate change manenos!)…many parts of Kenya(and the Horn of Africa) have experienced an unprecedented drought…suddenly those regions are experiencing floods!

In this month’s blog article, we contextualize and visualize an Africa where there is a bountiful expression of food sovereignty…growing a wide range of local and diverse foods while converting those indigenous and traditional foods into a celebration of tasteful African cuisines …a celebration of African culinary skills and food cultures….just like our grandmothers did!

There is no better way of personally expressing my optimism about an unfolding Africa, where there is food sovereignty, than participating as a co-author, in the writing and editing of this ‘one of a kind book’ aptly titled ‘My Food is African’, a pan-African publication spearheaded by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa(AFSA). You can download a free copy here: https://afsafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/bfg-my_food_is_african_-_lores.pdf

Recent events that have culminated in this publication include participation, as the Chair of the Scientific Committee and Abstracts Committee of the landmark 1^st International Conference on Agroecology that took place at the Safari Park Hotel, in Nairobi, Kenya in 2019 followed, four years later, by the just concluded 1^st Eastern Africa Agroecology Conference: Links here: https://ea-agroecologyconference.org/agroecology-conference/ and here: https://ea-agroecologyconference.org/

• Why promote and encourage food systems transformation to embrace and adopt the growing and consumption of ‘My Food is African’ approach?

• The answer is simple; if you analyse the 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) you will start to appreciate that by transforming food systems into agroecological and regenerative food(and nutrition) systems, one can address, the current ‘quadruple crises’ that the world is faced with, namely; Climate crisis, Soil degeneration/poisoning and biodiversity loss; deepening poverty and economic instability and the rising disease burden of non-communicable diseases(NCDs).

• Do we have evidence that agroecological and regenerative food production and consumption systems, which do not use synthetic pesticides and related synthetic fertilizers, are good for the health of the soil, plants, animals and human health?

• Yes we do….in previous blog articles we have provided this evidence which we have finally distilled in this book . ‘My Food is African’

• For those who are more scientifically inclined here is a recent article that demonstrates the clear link between soil microbiota diversity(and health) and human gut microbiota: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31450753/#

Now that we have demonstraated ample scientific evidence that a re-connection to the SOIL and removal of pesticides(and synthetic fertilizers) from our food system, as outlined in the book ‘My Food is African’, can address the ‘quadruple crises’ how do we advocate and Call to Action, food and dietary transformations to address these four global crises, to achieve positive outcomes for People, Planet and Profits?

• Current approaches to promote and encourage the shift to agroecological food systems don’t seem to be as impactful as intended. What could be the reasons for this stagnation or slow pace of adoption of agroecological food systems?
• We, at Organic Consumers Alliance(OCA) https://organicconsumersalliance.org/who-we-are/leadership-management-profiles.html in partnership with the Noncommunicable Diseases Alliance of Kenya(NCDAK) https://ncdak.org/ncdak-structure/ and Passion for Hope International(PHI) https://www.passionofhope.org/ have determined to leverage the ‘Calls to Action’ from the two agroecology Conferences and the AFSA publication ‘My Food is African’ to create a series of events and activities centered on the theme of ‘celebrating African foods and culture’. The goal is to innovatively promote behavioral change adoption of African cuisines and related food production targetted at multiple audiences, from community level to national and regional levels.

• A key strategy is  promotion of African Food Festivals, aimed at using  ‘food and fun’ events targeting various local communities, primary and secondary schools, including people living with NCDS, to ‘innovatively celebrate and market African food and cuisines…
• ‘My Food is African’ is therefore a strategic tool to address all the four ‘quadruple crises’, including promoting Healthy Diets to improve health outocmes in general but specifically to reduce NCDs, hence the reason why we are partnering with the Noncommunicable Diseases Alliance of Kenya(NCDAK) and over time other NCDAs, across Africa...with the shared vision of an NCD Free Africa.
• To kick start these participatory multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary events will leverage the ‘Chakula Bora Speaker Series’, pioneered by Passion for Hope International (PHI). https://www.passionofhope.org/

• As next steps, are you ready and willing to join us in this homegrown afro-centric celebration of African Food and Cuisines?

Find pictures, from the recent Agroecology Conference, celebrating ‘People, Planet and Profits’… (Click on the thumbnails below to view larger photo)

January 2023 is just about gone; meanwhile, the world is far from reaching a consensus on the safety of GMO crops as food for human consumption. This month’s article is a follow up to the December 2022 article which discussed the two options on who should grow and control food, going into the future: https://organicconsumersalliance.org/our-blog/182-a-choice-between-two-options-an-exclusive-techno-elites-controlled-food-system-versus-an-inclusive-agroecological-food-system.html

This January article provides scientific evidence on why growing GMOs crops, as food for human consumption, goes against the UN Precautionary Principle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartagena_Protocol_on_Biosafety#

• There is no documented evidence on GMOs contribution to food security anywhere in the world: On the contrary, this month’s article shares evidence of harm to human health and the environment from GMO foods and yet safer alternatives exist.

• Let us commence this informative piece by listening to the short video interview of the author of this article, Dr. Peter Mokaya, explain the lack of safety from consuming genetically modified foods engineered to tolerate glyphosate, whose chemical name is N-phosphonomethylglycine.
• The glyphosate molecule is the main ingredient in the common weed killer called Roundup which among other things has been linked to cancers. WHO, in a 2015 publication, has classified it as a group/class 2A carcinogen!
• Have a listen to the video here:

• In retrospect, the invention of this small molecule called ‘glyphosate’ initially used as a rust removal and cleaning agent for industrial piping systems, later found to have herbicidal properties, was to become one of the most insidious and dangerous molecules ever invented…little wonder some have referred to it as the ‘Devils Molecule’!
• While some have argued that it has ‘revolutionized’ farming, the devil is in the detail. This water soluble, clear molecule, soon proved to be a major money maker for the patent holder, Monsanto(now owned by Bayer)… with the patent expired it allows other agrochemical companies to manufacture cheaply and sell it worldwide.

• The money was so good Monsato scientists decided to genetically modify maize(corn) and soya, among other crops, to tolerate glyphosate while normal normal plants were killed by glyphosate!. This new ‘monster seed’ was, unlike normal seeds, able to resist death from glyphosate!

• The video interview(see above) discusses the same in a layman’s language. These type of GMOs are described as ‘herbicide tolerant’(Ht GMOs). They are the most widely produced and grown GMOs, often in combination with the Bacillus Thuringiesis(Bt GMOs) carrying traits. When the two modified genes are inserted in one maize seed they are referred to as 'stacked traits'.

• This is the ‘stacked double trait’ GMO maize variety planned for introduction in Kenya, if the proposed lifting of the GMo ban (currently in Court) is allowed and GMO maize is imported into Kenya, from USA!
• While pro-GMO scientists argue that with the introduction of GMO seeds, there will be a reduction in the use of toxic herbicides and pesticides, the opposite is true. Indeed super weeds will arise: Here is the evidence of superweeds arising from over use of glyphosate in GMO farming. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121002092839.htm

• Is there any scientific evidence of an increase in use of pesticides with GMO farming and food production? Yes. Charles Benbrooke in peer reviewed publications has provided evidence of increase of herbicides and pesticides increase with GMOs; a 15-fold increase was noted!
• Here is the evidence: https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-016-0070-0

• There is a lack of evidence of safety of GMOs, which are currently being pushed on Africa. GMOs safety concerns remain a controversial issue to the extent that over half of the world has partial to total bans on GMO importation/use as food and feed. For example, most European countries have imposed bans on GMOs, including Germany, where the ‘owners’ of glyphosate are based!

• Why would there be controversy or lack of safety consensus if GMOs were safe?
• Even countries, like Mexico, which previous imported USA produced GMOs for animal feed only, are now planning to phase out these GMO imports by 2025. Here the evidence. https://www.naturalnews.com/2023-01-27-washington-panicking-over-mexico-rejecting-gmo-crops.html#
• In addition to the above scientific evidence of the health and environmental concerns on use of GMOs, which invariably results in more use of glyphosate and glyphosate based herbicides and pesticides, new research suggests that contamination is more widespread to the extent of being found in pollen of wild flowers grown in close proximity to GMO crop farms! The result?
• Other than the honey being contaminated with residues of glyphosate, the honey bees, critical pollinators, are slowly dying off from glyphosate toxicity!
• Here is the evidence: https://www.naturalnews.com/2023-01-26-glyphosate-is-spreading-further-into-the-ecosystem.html#

• Finally, on the increasing harm from the GMO/glyphosate combo, the latest findings point to glyphosate’s linkage to disease causing pathology linked to cancers and other non-communicable diseases. The evidence, published in Nature (and which the article author mentioned about in the short video) is a matter of great public safety concern, which adds more reasons for avoiding GMOs grown with glyphosat
• These pathologies, apparently manifest in the grandchildren(F2) and great grandchildren(F3) of the contaminated individual’s family lineage!
• Read on, the evidence: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-42860-0

Going forward, are there safer and environmentally friendly ways of producing healthy food to achieve food security while ensuring less contamination from synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Indeed, there are proven approaches and related food systems that are radically different which are informed by the age old wisdom of growing food in harmony with nature.

• Charles Wilson, a renown sustainable agriculture, food safety and food security expert (and a great friend of the author of this article), summarizes the pros and cons of this divergent food systems. Guided by the evidence presented, he recommends Regenerative Agriculture and related food systems, including agroecological and organic approaches, as the way forward.
• He refers to it as the ‘quadruple win-win-win-win’; the regenerative approach provides a solution to; climate change, food security, environment biodiversity and soil regeneration, removing/reducing toxic synthetic fertilizers, GMOs and pesticides from our food chain and food system, which in turn, will result in a reduction of the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
• Read on… https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/regenerative-agriculture-quadruple-win-win-win-win-man-wilson
• Now you have the evidence why governments should apply the Precautionary Principle to GMOs introduction;
• They should, instead, promote the safer Regenerative Agriculture and related agroecological food and nutrition systems, including Organic Agriculture.

The month of February, 2023 has manifested and is just about gone. Never before, in my living experience, have I witnessed such disastrous and tragic manifestations of Climate Change, which should be more appropriately referred to as ‘Climate Emergency’; These manifestations are on human health (or lack of it), animal health and environmental health….but, how many people know that there is a direct correlation between worsening climate change and overuse/misuse of synthetic pesticides?

This month’s ‘article’ is not the usual blog article but rather a ‘special announcement’ of the arrival of the paperback edition of the book Synthetic Pesticides Use in Africa; The impact on People, Animals and the Environment. Click here for more: https://www.routledge.com/Synthetic-Pesticide-Use-in-Africa-Impact-on-People-Animals-and-the-Environment/Wilson-Huber/p/book/9781032002828

Why this deviation from the usual blog article and what is the unique value addition of this book?

• Firstly, because the authors of the various chapters are world renown experts in their respective fields; they bring together evidence that has not been packaged in one book ever, before - multidisciplinary experts provide scientific evidence of the correlation between synthetic pesticide use and the negative impact on People, Animals and the Environment, especially, in Africa.

• Secondly, because the editors, Professor Charles Wilson and Professor Don Huber are eminent scientists, academics, researchers and development practitioners who are widely published in their respective fields, now in their sunset years; their knowledge and wisdom is not only timely but priceless. From an African perspective, they would be referred to as ‘libraries of knowledge’.

• Thirdly, because this new book is, finally, in a paperback edition which means it is more affordable to more people and in particular within the African continent, both in academic and non-academic circles. The e-edition should make the book even more accessible and affordable.

• Fourthly, the content of this book provides scientific evidence which explains the previously little understood linkages and interrelationships between synthetic pesticides use and their negative impacts on people, animals and the environment, which in turn, contribute to the negative impacts of climate change.

• Last and least the book authorship gave me the privilege of ‘swimming with the dolphins’ as the author of Chapter One of the book; here: https://www.routledge.com/Synthetic-Pesticide-Use-in-Africa-Impact-on-People-Animals-and-the-Environment/Wilson-Huber/p/book/9781032002828

• Enjoy the reading… apply the scientific evidence and knowledge therein to advocate for the reduction and elimination of use of synthetic pesticides to grow our food… which poisons the food and contaminants the environment…it is not healthy nor climate friendly!

• Healthy and sustainable climate friendly alternatives exist. These agroecological and regenerative approaches have been shared in previous articles on this blog.