Why are GMOs being sneaked into the Kenyan food system despite science backed food safety concerns?

The month of June is almost gone and with it the intensification of the cold season.

 Besides the cold weather what else is happening?

It is elections season in Kenya...may the best team win. While all this political theatrics is unfolding, it is abundantly clear from their manifestos that the issue of food security, which includes food safety, is hardly given any prominence despite its far reaching implications not only on food security but also on the health of the population: There is no mention by the key political parties of their position regarding the introduction of GMOs which have controversial safety concerns.

  • Note that although this article focuses on the obtaining situation in Kenya, it is not unlike most African countries in terms of the increasing external pressure to allow GMO seeds and commercialization of the same into their local food chains. The concerns discussed can therefore be extrapolated to the East Africa Community (EAC) which now includes DRC Congo, covering a cumulative target population of close to 300 million people...that is equivalent to the US population!
  • This month’s article outlines key safety concerns and recommends alternative ways to ensure food security, food safety and the health and wellbeing of Kenyans, including reversing the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
  • In last month’s (May) blog article, the author outlined how the “Putin War” is making worse the already bad situation of what we have referred to as the “Quadruple Crises” which includes; worsening Climate Change, Biodiversity loss(partly from introduction of GMOs), increasing Food Insecurity(and related deepening Poverty) and the increasing burden of NCDs... have you noticed how almost every 3rd person has diabetes and how cancers are ravaging individuals, families, communities and straining the health care systems?
  • Before we delve into the concern of GMOs being sneaked into the local food system, some background of the state of affairs of the GMO Resistance Movement against the “Goliaths” aka Big Agric(in cahoot with Big Pharma!) who are supported by powerful Western nations, is in order. These Nations policymakers and their business proxies own GMO patented seed Corporations whose intent is to CONTROL global food production and food supplies as a means of consolidation of power, using food as a weapon of subjugation and manipulation.
  • BIBA Kenya (OCA is a member) has put up a sustained and sterling fight against GMOs: Here below a summary outlining resistance efforts todate:

Over the last decade and a half, there has been an orchestrated pressure to have African countries adopt genetic engineering and to start cultivating genetically modified crops. The campaign is bankrolled by giant biotech companies in collaboration with some developed countries with the main interest being to increase its global market share for seed and agrochemicals in the continent and elsewhere in the world. The companies have been financing a powerful GM-lobby that has widespread influence with policy makers, academia as well as the media. The giant biotech companies are interested in increasing market share for seed and agrochemicals.

 Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA), an umbrella body representing over 60 member organizations whose main objective is to ensure the public is AWARE and ALERT on issues of concern on environment, agriculture, livestock, food safety and health and biodiversity, works with small scale farmers and has been calling upon the Kenya government, as well as other African governments, to tread carefully before embracing the GMOs. BIBA’s stand is informed by the fact that the application of other ‘traditional’ options such as land reforms, irrigation, and adoption of sustainable agro-ecological practices, like organic farming, as well as preservation of indigenous farming techniques has been proved to offer better, long-term results for societies struggling to feed ever-growing population.

BIBA, together with other partners, contributed in influencing the decision of Kenyan Cabinet to ban the importation of GMO food stuffs in Kenya in 2012, and engaged with the Prof. Kihumbu Thairu Taskforce appointed to advise on the ban and championed for its sustenance. This ban remains in place even though the government has not released the Prof. Kihumbu Thairu Task Force Report more than 6 year after it was completed.

Food Sovereignty and the Right to Food is a fundamental pillar in BIBA’s work as we focus on guidance provided by the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). The IAASTD recommends that policy makers move away from industrial agriculture and GMOs, to food production systems that are appropriate for the millions of small-scale farmers around the world, who are primarily responsible for the global population’s sustenance.

The promotion of GM technology in agriculture has been done under the guise that GMOs are needed to address food insecurity in Kenya and other African countries whereas classic examples from South Africa, India and Burkina Faso, among many others, demonstrate huge failures in the GM technology; this has been coupled with bans by countries of GMOs citing food safety, health and environmental concerns.

The promotion of GM technology in agriculture has been done under the guise that GMOs are needed to address food insecurity in Kenya and other African countries whereas classic examples from South Africa, India and Burkina Faso, among many others, demonstrate huge failures in the GM technology; this has been coupled with bans by countries of GMOs citing food safety, health and environmental concerns.

The Constitution in the Bill of rights, Article 431c provides that every person has the right to be free from hunger and to have adequate food of acceptable quality. The Constitution in Article 46 further states that consumers have the right to information necessary for them to gain benefit from goods and services as well as protection of their health and safety. It is imperative that the quality is free from adverse substances and acceptable within given culture.

BIBA Kenya together with its members have greatly contributed in influencing policies geared towards sustainable food production such as incorporation of organic farming, agroecology, integrated pest and disease management to minimise the use of chemicals so as to ensure safe food production.

  • Apart from the well known safety concerns of GMOs and their use of MORE toxic agrochemicals, the elephant in the house is glyphosate (and other organophosphates) which contribute to allergenic diseases, cancers, metabolic dysfunction diseases like diabetes and increasingly, associated with neurotoxic diseases like autism spectrum disorder which is on the rise in Kenya.
  • Have you noticed how, suddenly, many children are born with autistic disease manifestations? This situation can only worsen if/when GMOs enter the local food system.
  • For an extrapolation on how bad the situation in Kenya will look like in a few years, if GMOs are allowed, with the inevitable increased use of harmful pesticides, it is informative to look at the autism spectrum disorder in the USA...the more GMOs have been used in the USA, the more glyphosate (a common herbicide/pesticide ingredient in Kenyan agricultural farm sprays) has been used with disastrous health consequences. Dr. Stephanie Seneff explains in this video: Basically GMO and glyphosate are associated with an exponential increase of all chronic diseases, including autism:
  • From a GMO seeds safety concern, most GMO seeds entering the market are “stacked traits” meaning the GMO seeds have multiple gene traits. More than 80% of the GMOs seeds already in the global market, include the glyphosate herbicide tolerance trait, which means the seeds are “engineered” to withstand(normal seeds die!) the herbicide/ pesticides containing glyphosate and its derivatives, as packaged in various commonly used herbicides and pesticides in the Kenyan Market.
  • Finally, here is the most terrifying safety concern from use of toxic pesticides often used MORE with GMOs: These safety concerns don’t only affect the person who is exposed directly or consumes toxic GMO foods but apparently, these toxic manifestations also called epigenetic effects cause DNA damage which manifest in great grand children of the consumer! In summary, now there is scientific evidence that GMOs used in combination with glyphosate cause transgenerational damage! Here is the scientific evidence: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15592294.2020.1853319

What is the safer alternative way forward?

  • WHY should the Kenyan population risk exposure to these “manmade” patent owned GMO seeds which contribute to the “Quadruple Crises”(see earlier what the 4 crises are) when there are natural, affordable and acceptable agroecological options of organic farming/regenerative agroecological farming approaches which can sustainably feed the world?
  • The author of this article is a passionate and dedicated of agroecological food and nutrition systems expert. He explains that, the best scientific evidence, including the IAASTD Report findings and recommendations, support agroecological food production systems(and approaches) towards the achievement of almost all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
  • He makes an informed pitch for an alternative solution ...that organic foods can feed the world sustainably... listen to the author, in this short video: