Kenyan Government ban of the Importation of all GMO Foods
The debate on genetically modified foods (GMOs) is wide-ranging. Many governments in both developed and developing countries are still grappling with the issue of whether to allow or ban the importation, distribution, and consumption of these foods. Proponents of genetically modified foods posit that they hold great promise and will increase animal and crop yields tremendously. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that they may have unspecified adverse impacts on animal and human health and hence should not be approved for consumption. In this paper, the issue of the ban of the importation of GMO foods by the Kenyan government will be discussed.
The Kenyan government in 2012 issued an indefinite ban on the importation, distribution, and consumption of all GMO food products in the country. The Public Health Minister, Hon. Beth Mugo in a press conference directed all stakeholders, government regulators and agencies to comply with and implement the directive (Sewell, 2012). The minister instructed the relevant agencies to beef up security at all the country’s border points and ports to prevent any entry of such foods into the Kenyan local market. Officers from the Public Health ministry were further instructed to scrupulously inspect and verify the documents of any imported food consignments to ensure that they had certificates of origins, GMO-free certificates, and analysis reports on food safety requirements. The government decision was influenced by what the minister termed as genuine concerns on the relative lack of research and insufficiency of evidence on the safety of GMOs. The cabinet decision was also influenced by similar moves by the Russian and French governments that had been instigated by the publishing of the findings of a French study that suggested that GMOs cause cancer in rats (Sewell, 2012).
The minister also directed the immediate institution of measures to mop up and destroy all GMOs already in the country. The ban is to be in effect till the body charged with investigating the safety of GMOs in the country advises the government on their safety (Kibira, 2012). The safety concerns are due to the fact genes for GMO crops and animals are derived from different species and inserted in other species. GMO plants such as maize and sorghum are currently under controlled trials in the country. The minister also stated that the government was to import natural food products to compensate for the food shortage that had prompted importation of GMOs. Groups in the country opposed to GMOs and which are calling for their complete ban attribute the upsurge of diseases in the country to these foods (Sewell, 2012).
The scientific community in the country is in favor of GMOs and was appalled by the government decision. They argued that the government decision would slow down bio-technological development in the country and the global fight against hunger. They also raised concerns that universities in the country would incur huge losses because they had invested heavily in bio-technology and were offering masters and PHD programs in the field (Sewell, 2012). They also reiterated that the validity of the French study was yet to be ascertained hence they were not reliable (Kibira, 2012).
Other critics of the cabinet decision argued that the ban was unethical. They grounded their argument on the fact that quite a significant number of Kenyans repeatedly face starvation and in their opinion, it was better for them to be given the GMOs foods than to go hungry. These critics further argued that the decision was hypocritical. They contend that the same government is yet to ban tobacco yet it is an established fact that smoking increases the risk for lung cancer (Makumi, 2012).
In my opinion, the decision by the Kenyan government was appropriate and well informed. In the field of health care, drugs and other medical innovations are only approved for use once their safety profile is established. I feel that the same standards should apply to the consumption of GMOs due to their potential impact on health. Despite the fact that Kenya’s food production and food production in most nations in general is inadequate, it will be catastrophic if a significant proportion of the population suffers GMO-related adverse consequences in the future. The costs governments will incur treating such conditions if they indeed occur may well surpass the current costs of purchasing natural food products.
In conclusion, the bold move by the Kenyan government to ban the importation of all GMO foods was informed by concerns on the relative lack of data on their safety. Critics to this move argue that it is unethical, ill advised, and will slow down the development of bio-technology in the country. In my opinion though, the move is visionary because GMO foods should be subjected to the same standards prescribed for medical innovations.
References
Kibira, H. (2012, November 22). Kenya bans GMO foods until experts prove they are safe. The Star. Retrieved from http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-96614/kenya-bans-gm-foods- until-experts-prove-they-are-safe
Makumi, D. (2012, December 30). Banning genetically modified foods won’t reduce cancer; What of tobacco? Daily Nation. Retrieved from http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/- /440808/1654380/-/klyj34z/-/index.html
Sewell, A. (2012, December 5). Kenya bans importation of all GMO foods. Digital Journal. Retrieved from http://digitaljournal.com/article/338369
