The debate on agricultural biotechnology in Kenya boiled over again last week when peasant farmers and GMO critics staged a demo against GMO proponents who see it as a panacea to low yields.
Farmers in Kenya's breadbasket district of Kitale, Western Kenya, held a demonstration protesting against the Biosafety Bill 2007 that is awaiting Parliamentary debate, saying it should be shelved till after the general elections scheduled for December. During the peaceful demonstration which involved representatives from Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia and Madagascar, demonstrators said, "The Biosafety Bill is aimed at introducing genetically modified organisms through the back door."
They said the GM foods aid was being forced on African countries as a dumping alternative because it had already been rejected in the West. The farmers expressed fear that in the event the Bill was introduced in the House for the second reading, most of the MPs would be out campaigning for the December polls, hence may not have adequate time to satisfactorily handle the weighty sat stake.
They said the Bill excludes more pertinent bio-safety issues such as pharmaceutical drugs obtained from crops and animals. The demonstrators said the government should strengthen the Biosafety Bill by putting in place effectively measures regarding GMOs, their products and other related biotechnology products.
Henry Waswa, a demonstrator, said sustainability could be maintained if it empowered small scale farmers and local communities as well as increasing their knowledge-base capacity.
Scientists are pushing for the Bill. "Biotech solutions lead to higher yields and improved crop resistance to pests and diseases, enhancing food security," says Dr. Simon Gichuki, head of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institutes's (KARI) biotechnology centre. "It will give an internationally recognised Bio-safety framework within which to tap the enormous benefits of biotechnology, " he said.
Kenya is one of the eight demonstration countries implementing their National Biosafety Frameworks (NBF) under a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) fund. Commercial use of the products that have already been developed will be made possible by the new law.
The government approved a biotechnology and Biosafety policy last September through the Cabinet.
Kenya has in recent years applied an interim system for the use and handling of biotechnology products. To date, five approvals for research and development and six others for confined field-testing have been granted under the auspices of KARI.
Most investments in biotechnology in Kenya have been in the field of agriculture.
The rapid development and diffusion of biotechnology, especially in genetic engineering, is happening at a time when the African continent is faced with daunting challenges including declining agricultural productivity and increasing poverty, leading to greater food insecurity and malnutrition. It has been asserted that several maize and cotton GMOs available now have the potential to increase productivity by lowering crop protection costs through lower chemical use in the environment.
Conversely, concerns have been raised about the potential risks to the environment and human health from GMOs.
Kenya’s Minister for Agriculture, Kipruto Arap Kirwa, acknowledges that attempts to introduce and implement agricultural biotechnologies have received varied reactions in country. He argues that Kenya should weigh both potential benefits and risks by putting in place frameworks that address controversial concerns raised regarding the adoption of GMOs.
