Is Kenya Ready For GMO ?

According to a dispatch following the cabinet meeting on October 3, the Kenyan government claims that it reversed the GMO ban after taking into account things like the Kenya National Biosafety Authority's (NBA) guidelines, the need to adapt to climate change and a reduction in reliance on rain-fed agriculture.

The Kenyan government repealed a ban on the commercialization of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton, a GM cotton type resistant to the destructive insect pest known as the African bollworm, during the same cabinet meeting. Following the lifting of the prohibition, President William Ruto tweeted: "We are implementing innovative and new farming solutions that will assure early maturity and higher food production to protect millions of Kenyans from recurrent starvation."

Ann Maina, the national coordinator of the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya, criticized the government's decision to lift the prohibition, claiming there was insufficient proof that GM technology will aid the nation in overcoming food shortages and have positive socioeconomic effects.

The NBA has little manpower and financial resources, thus we don't have the competence to control GM. She urged the government to expand research funding to assist organizations like the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organization in conducting studies that would encourage the development of homegrown inventions and technology that will promote agricultural growth.

 

There are three key worries about what may go wrong with GMOs, according to Mr. Benard Oloo, Lecturer of Food Science and Technology, Department of Dairy and Food Science and Technology, Egerton University. Unintended negative consequences, food safety, environmental safety, and societal attitudes are among them. Fears that GMOs are an example of "man playing God" are also included.

The unanticipated negative consequences of GMOs on the environment are another worry. Scientists who study GMOs have developed a plethora of laws in advance of these dangers. Before being approved for commercialization, these rules seek to determine if GMOs are equally safe for humans and the environment as their conventional equivalents.

Food safety: Before GMOs may be commercialized, food safety studies, including testing of allergenicity—the capacity of an antigen to cause an aberrant immune response—must be completed. Additionally, nations have established biosafety authorities with the authority to control the creation and marketing of GMOs.

Environmental security: GMO processing, shipping, and usage are governed by a global agreement. It offers an easy-to-follow roadmap for assessing the effects of GMOs on the environment. For at least ten years following the introduction of a GM crop, it has implemented the process of post-release monitoring and assessment.

One example is the possible emergence of weeds known as "super weeds" that are resistant to one or more particular pesticides. Herbicide tolerance has greatly decreased the cost of producing GM crops and helped farmers control weeds. This is due to the possibility of genetically altering crops to provide tolerance to widely used herbicides like glyphosate. However, there is a possibility that farmers may rely too heavily on this kind of weed management, which might lead to weeds establishing resistance.

It's important to keep a careful eye on the possibility of this resistance. In Kenya, it would be the responsibility of the county governments to report any early instances and to take appropriate action if there are any indications of resistance. The objective should be to employ several weed and pest control strategies, commonly known as integrated pest management systems.

Aspects of society and culture: The government must do everything possible to allay public worries about genetically modified organisms. This includes highlighting the fact that crops have been altered by humans for thousands of years. Over 20 years have passed since the first GM food was produced and consumed in various nations. None of the worries have been supported by any scientific data so far. According to evaluations, GM crops are equally safe for consumption by humans and the environment as traditional crops.