On Tuesday of 4th October 2022, the president of Kenya and its Cabinet lifted its 10- year ban on genetically modified crops which had been restricted for open cultivation and importation. The government of Kenya has finally approved the farming and cultivation of these crops making Kenya the second country to do so, after South Africa.
SOCIAL ISSUES THAT AFFECT GMO CROPS
Biotechnologically, GMOs are just modified protein sequences that produce different proteins, which pose very little to no harm to the consumer.
Genetically modified foods will always pose social and ethical problems because we are manipulating the natural ways food is supposed to be produced. The fact that we are not producing the crops naturally may scare some people who are not ready to embrace this new technology.
This technology will also affect the farmers in Kenya as the argument favouring biotechnology crops hinges on their role in lowering farm production and potential benefits to farmers.
WHY KENYA HAS FINALLY EMBRACED THIS TECHNOLOGY
The approval of GMO technology has come in handy in the wake of curbing droughts and famine. Three million Kenyans from 23 counties have been exposed to droughts and famine. In a recent report, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), the number of counties facing drought disasters has increased to 27. These counties are Marsabit, Turkana, Laikipia, Samburu and Tana River. Around 4.35 million people from the affected counties are food insecure. Further statistics from the KRCS also state that 3.5 million children and mothers from these counties are malnourished. Through GMO crops, the government of Kenya hopes to combat climate change and foster food security.
GMO crops are also drought and disease/pest tolerant. Therefore, unlike naturally grown crops, they could be grown on any land. They are also resistant and tolerant to certain herbicides used to control weeds.
As Kenya’s population continues to grow and the world at large, there is demand for more food, which is where GMO foods come in handy.
The approval is also meant to allow imports of GMO maize that are readily available in the market at a cheaper cost to help lower the price of flour which had recently hit 200 shillings($1.65) for only a two-kilo packet.
CONCLUSION
The Kenyan cabinet says it put into mind various expert and technical reports, including that of Kenya’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States of America’s Foods and Drugs Administration (FDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). All these organizations regulate GMO crops and their safety to ensure that they pose no risk to human consumption. The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organization (KALRO) has started growing GMO crops such as cassava and maize. Despite Kenyans’ mixed reactions to this technology, we all hope and wish to embrace it.
