GMOs Will in the Longrun Completely Destroy Africa’s Agriculture and Millions of Lives

“Genetically modified seeds/crops/plants, are saliently destroying our soils, and will in the long run, completely destroy our agriculture, which is our major source of livelihood. When we started using GMOs seeds/plants, especially maize, soy beans, cassava, bananas, G/nuts, among others, the harvests were so good for the first two seasons, thereafter, we began witnessing a decline in our farm yields, and rotting of crops before their maturity, frustrated, we asked for advice from agricultural extension officers, only to be told, to increase our fertilizers usage and pesticide spraying, this also did not change the situation, and as we talk now, we regret why we used them, our gardens, are no longer fertile, and we are more food insecure than never before”. Says, Peter Ambayo, on behalf of group of affected farmers, Yumbe district, Uganda’s Nile Region, during my farm tour of their farms.

While in Malawi and Zambia,  last year, farmers in various communities, that I visited, also cursed Monsanto and other biotech companies that are behind the production of GMOs seeds/plants, “Our lives are now at stake as GMOs seeds that we used destroyed our soils, leading to decreased farm yields, we have now, decided never to use GMOs seeds again, and gone back to using our traditional well preserved seeds, which have sustained us for generations, and we shall keep on using organic manure as used by our ancestors to keep our farms fertile” they said.

My constant interaction with grass root farmers from various African countries, raises so many pertinent issues, which African governments and policy makers’ needs to come open about and let the public know the truth behind GMOs.

Does Monsanto and other biotech producing seeds/plants companies have Africa’s best interests in mind? If so, why is it that they are silent about the negative effects of their products on the environment and human lives? Are the GM seeds/plants usage the only way to solve Africa/world hunger? Is the GM powered farming affordadble and sustainable by the Africa grass root/small scale farmers?

Subjecting Africa’s grass root farmers, who in reality are the majority and backbone of continent’s agricultural sector, to issues such as, patent rights infringement, constant usage of artificial fertilizers, and pesticide spraying, which all comes in equation due to use of GMOs seeds/plants, knowing very well, that they cannot afford and sustain it, is in essence destroying their livelihood and lives indirectly.

In almost all African communities, where genetically modified crops have been embraced, there has been consistent disappearance of bee colonies, and various studies attributes this to, growing of these GM crops, and to, usage of pesticides and herbicides applied on these crops, more so,  glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, this has destroyed and is destroying bee farming, in addition to destroying plant communities, resulting from plants pollination decline, if this continues, the future of Africa’ agriculture is doomed, as new research from Emory university researchers, clearly shows that, wildflowers produce one-third fewer seeds when even one bumblebee species is removed from the area.

African governments must stay aware that, GMOs can never and will never be safe because, genetically modified plants and animals, are created using, horizontal gene transfer/horizontal inheritance, as opposed, to vertical gene transfer which is a natural mechanism in natural reproduction. Under vertical gene transfer, genes are transferred from parent generation to offspring via sexual or asexual reproduction, through breeding a male and female from one species, while under horizontal gene transfer, a gene from one species is injected into a completely different species, a process that often leads to unexpected and unpredictable results. To make matters worse, scientific researches, have proved that, GM genes can be transferred to humans and environment often with catastrophic health consequences.

In Molokai, an island in Hawaii, where Monsanto a world leader in GM crops, 2,000-acre test facility is located, air and water quality in the area, are atrocious, and there are reports that, people living in and surrounding areas, are increasingly finding themselves, suffering from bloody skin rashes, infertility, asthma, death, and pesticide contamination of the underground water. In 2009 the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called for a moratorium of GM foods, safety testing and labeling, their findings, revealed, growing and consumption of GMOs products, by both humans, and animals, leads to these mentioned health problems.  As Africans continues to engage in farming using GM seeds, plants, and animals, they are ignorantly poisoning their environments and underground waters, and thus dooming their future survival.

Global debate against GMOs supported by scientific revelations, is gaining momentum across the globe, and some countries like Russia and some few European countries, have officially banned genetically modified ingredients, in any and in all food production processes in their countries, African countries are still quiet in this debate and have not vigorously came out, to educate their citizens about dangers of GMOs. It is envisioned that few years from now, more European countries, will also ban GMOs, to safe guard the health of their citizens and future generations.

It is on that basis that, I call upon all the people globally, to start avoiding processed foods, since it has been found out that, 70 percent of them, contains GM ingredients that exposes human body to various diseases, people should instead switch and focus on consuming, on whole foods such as natural grown vegetables, fruits, organically grown crops, and animals and birds that feeds on natural grown grass and food stuff.

In sum, the future of African agriculture lies in sustainable green farming practices and not in Monsanto and other biotech companies’ hidden agenda driven farming. African countries should carry out their own funded researches, about GMOs effects on agriculture, environment, human lives, and entire eco-systems and stop relying on Monsanto and other biotech companies’, sponsored researches, which together with accompanying heavily funded public relations campaigns have duped African governments into believing GMOs crops and animals/ food products are safe to eat, not harmful to the environment, requires less pesticides, yields more, and are a solution to world hunger, which in reality is, not true.

Moses Hategeka, is a Ugandan based Independent Governance Researcher, Public Affairs Analyst, and Writer
email: moseswiseman2000@gmail.com