An article published by African Arguments recently shows there is still confusion and uncertainty around genetically modified (GMO) foods in Uganda.
This arises from a decision by the Kenyan government to lift the ban on the importation and cultivation of select GM crops.
About 278 million people in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from chronic hunger.
The confusion is not unique to Uganda. The commercialization of GM crops in Africa has been problematic because of the concerns about their ‘adverse effects’ on human health and the environment.
Yet, even after three decades of GM commercialization worldwide, humans have suffered no confirmed harm after consuming approved GM crops.
Genetic engineering offers Africa a platform to develop and apply novel solutions to agricultural problems.
According to the United Nation’s projections, the population of sub-Saharan Africa will double by 2050.
This population explosion presents many challenges for the African continent, including food insecurity.
Data from the World Economic Forum shows that about 278 million people in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from chronic hunger, representing 20 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s population.
The 2021 World Hunger Index classified over 44 African countries in the serious to severe hunger index.
We must improve communication around GM foods and the technologies used to produce them.
In an era marred by unreliable rainfall, perennial drought, famine, dwindling agricultural productivity, and the emergence of pests and diseases, African governments must adopt agricultural innovation to feed the growing population.
Genetic engineering offers the continent a platform to develop and apply novel solutions to these perennial agricultural problems.
First, we must improve communication around GM foods and the technologies used to produce them.
Scientists and other proponents of GM products must present facts to farmers and consumers.
According to the farmer interviewed in this article, she had only reliable information or data about GM crops from a local radio station in 2017 and her coffee buyer in 2023.
If small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are to appreciate and adopt GM crops, there must be a collective effort to ensure they get the correct information.
Many narratives about GM crops are untrue and need to be countered by facts.
This means that scientists and other proponents of GM products must be willing to enter the arena and present facts to farmers and consumers.
Many narratives about GM crops are untrue and need to be countered by facts.
One of the problems echoed by farmers and anti-GM activists in Uganda is the issue of seed sovereignty.
Most African countries do not grow GM crops, yet we are not food sovereign.
Advocates of indigenous foods and anti-GM activists have linked the issue of seed sovereignty to economic bondage.
Such statements represent the exaggerations and unchallenged claims surrounding GM crops in Africa.
Most farmers in rural Kenya and Uganda select seeds from the best yields and store them until the next planting season.
African countries must empower and fund local scientists and institutions to develop new seeds.
Anti-GM activists assert that farmers cannot save seeds from their harvest for future planting with GM crops.
We know there are legal cases where multinational companies such as Monsanto and Syngenta have sued farmers for saving and sharing GM seeds.
This is a legal matter and can be solved by enacting laws that ensure farmers retain the right to save and share seeds.
Members of Parliament in Uganda must include these amendments in the Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill to protect Uganda’s farmers.
The other unsubstantiated statement is that by adopting GM crops, we will be at the mercy of multinational companies that own patents on GM seeds.
Instead of fighting genetic engineering technologies, we should adopt them in our agricultural pipeline to solve specific problems.
Most African countries do not grow GM crops, yet we are not food sovereign.
For example, the Africa Development Bank reported that in 2015, sub-Saharan African countries imported food worth 35 billion dollars from countries outside the continent.
These imports included everyday staples such as rice, wheat, soybeans, sugar, and corn.
That this import bill is expected to rise to 110 billion dollars by 2025 shows that we still need to be food sovereign because we rely on food grown on other continents.
In 2015, countries in sub-Saharan Africa imported food worth 35 billion dollars from outside the continent.
Nevertheless, there is merit in local ownership of seeds grown in Africa.
African countries must empower and fund local scientists and institutions to develop new seeds that can withstand drought, pests, and diseases, among other issues.
This will sever this dependency on multinational companies and guarantee farmers and food activists control and accountability.
What is commendable is the alternative voices in the article that acknowledge the importance of technology in fighting pests and diseases and improving crop yields without necessarily losing our food sovereignty.
For example, in September 2017, an outbreak of cyanide poisoning affected 98 people who ate cassava in Western Uganda.
Similar cases of cyanide poisoning from cassava have also been reported in Kenya.
Since cassava is one of the staples in the region, a solution to this cyanide problem is needed.
In Kenya, there is an ongoing initiative to modify the pathways in cassava that produce high levels of cyanide and make it safe for human consumption.
This a representative case of local scientists taking the lead to revolutionizing our food security.
Instead of fighting genetic engineering technologies, we should adopt them in our agricultural pipeline to solve specific problems.
Only then can our claims about food sovereignty be taken seriously. ____________________________________________________________________
The writer is LEAD Fellow, Prof. Janine Erler Research Group, Biotech Research and Innovation Centre – University of Copenhagen, Denmark.