After
seeing one man walk door to door with a hoe in hopes of trading manual labor
for a meal, Nyasha Mudukuti of Chikombedzi, Zimbabwe, a country who has just
announced that they will reject any aid containing GMOs, has come to the
conclusion that her government would rather see people starve than let them eat
genetically modified food.
Before you jump on board the all
natural food craze you may want to do a bit of research. According Mudukuti, “…virtually
every regulatory agency that has studied [GMOs]…” has found that they pose no
threat to human health, however the names of these agencies are not mentioned.
Mudukuti believes the cause of
Africa’s GMO opposition has come from their long-standing European reference to
economic and intellectual leadership. As Zimbabweans are suffering from the
worst drought in two decades the announcement from the minister of agriculture
stating that they would not accept any GMO products in the aim to protect the
environment “from a grain point of view” brought about much anger. Mudukuti
sees this as an ideological luxury that Zimbabwe, unlike much of Europe, cannot
afford.
Deeming the ban even more
outrageous is the claim that GMOs have a positive effect on the environment.
Fighting soil erosion by planting high-yield crops that need less water,
reducing greenhouse gases and growing more food on less land are some examples that
are listed in the article. Other studies draw attention to soil sanity and
sustainability through use of GMOs.
Before taking such a hard line
against GMOs the Zimbabwean government may want to consider their nearly three
million citizens that are currently in need of help and look to the African
countries that currently appreciate the value of GMO goods.
I think that we should not mess with Mother Nature! An anonymous agency says that there is nothing to be concerned with now, but what about 20 years later after long term effects have set in? What about cross pollination and seed mutations? Scientists think they know everything and want to play God, when in reality they have no idea what they are doing or the long-term repercussions. Don't get me wrong, they should continue research and studies, but it needs more R&D and containment. These are my thoughts and concerns, but great article.
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe may have strong arguments for banning GMO foods, but GMO will make it possible for the country to develop and face future challenges. The world is estimated within the year 2050 to run out of food supply and GMO makes it achievable to match food production to its large demand. In the future, we can create seeds that will grow in any environment and hopefully end starvation, but as PW stated, “We should not mess with mother nature”, is also important to take into consideration. What happens if everyone has access to unlimited food supply and the world gets overpopulated? Studies has shown that GMO is bad and linked to unexplainable diseases such as IBS, hyper-allergy, and even cancer. I believe finding a balance in this important matter of GMO food is essential in order to provide enough food and inform the people with the right information.
ReplyDelete