In an article that appeared in the The Monitor newspaper
(Uganda), Richard Mugisha expresses
concern that ‘genetic engineering of crops is being presented as the best and
only alternative method of resolving the food crisis in Africa and particularly
in Uganda, ignoring indigenous and sustainable systems of food production that
are best known, affordable and controlled by the local people.’
Mugisha is the advocacy officer for PELUM (Participatory
Ecological Land Use Management)-Uganda,
a regional network of sustainable agriculture orgzanizations.
He says points out that Uganda
is one of only five African countries that is ‘promoting GMOS,’ the others
being Kenya, Tanzania,
Mozambique and South
Africa. He neglects to include countries
like Burkina Faso
and Egypt that
have also embraced GM crops.
Mugisha expresses concern that “the absence of (a) biosafety
law has not stopped
laboratory and field testing for GMO crop.” He also mentions
reduction of biodiversity and farmers’ dependence on seed companies for his
worry about the push for GM crops.
He concludes, ”I therefore recommend that government should
be seen to strongly support farmers to save their indigenous seeds to protect
agricultural biodiversity for the future generation.”
full article…The Monitor
(Support farmers to save their indigenous seeds from GMOs)
