TITLE: US Comes Under Attack Over GMOs SOURCE: The Post, Zambia, by Brighton Phiri http://allafrica.com/stories/200208130100.html DATE: Aug 13, 2002 ------------------ archive: http://www.gene.ch/genet.html ------------------ US Comes Under Attack Over GMOs THE United States yesterday came under severe attack from Zambians for insisting that government must accept genetically modified foods (GMFs) if it has to be granted a US $50 million loan. Leading the attack during a government organised debate on GMOs at Lusaka's Mulungushi International Conference Centre, opposition Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda asked the US to stop intimidating and threatening Zambians over their donations. "Don't intimidate us. Don't pressurise us to accept food which we don't know about," said Brig. Gen. Miyanda amid applause from other participants. He wondered why the US insisted on the GM maize as a conditionality for the country to be given the loan. "This is raising a lot of suspicions. What is the motive? If there are motives behind this donation then we don't need it," Brig. Gen. Miyanda said. "I know, as former minister, that the US government has the capacity to fly in GM-free maize. Why stick to this maize which we are not comfortable with?" Brig. Gen. Miyanda asked the US to assist government purchase GM-free maize from other sources. "If they are serious with their support, let them assist us with ships or other means so that we can get into our lakes and catch the fish to feed our people. It is not only maize that starving people can eat. There is rice from India," he said. Brig. Gen. Miyanda grilled University Teaching Hospital's (UTH) Dr. Fuston Goma over his justification that there was no need for Zambians to worry because GMFs didn't have immediate effects. Dr. Goma told the meeting that GMFs were not poisonous but food good enough for human consumption. "This food has been eaten somewhere else. No one will die tomorrow, maybe after 30 years. After all, you will not be there," said Dr. Goma amid jeering and booing. "Mr. chairman, I can not trust a scientist who says that after 30 years, we will not be there. This is serious because we have families," Brig. Gen. Miyanda said. He said he didn't want to be part of the resolutions which would allow government to accept GM maize from the US. "Putting aside how your government came into office, we are here to assist you over this issue. There is no need to be in a hurry over this GM maize," he said. He asked government to concentrate its effort on providing GM-free food to its citizens. Brig. Gen. Miyanda asked agriculture minister Mundia Sikatana whether or not there was a law in the country which could be used to seek redress over World Food Programme (WFP) revelation that it had been distributing GM maize in the last seven years. "Mr. Minister, you as a lawyer, do we have a law which we can use to seek redress? That is criminal. You can't give people food without telling them what type of food you are giving them and you freely say that we have been feeding you with GMFs," he said. Women for Change (WFC) executive director Emily Sikazwe said it was unethical for the US to force Zambians to eat food which they were not comfortable with. "I am a scientist by profession but I don't want to be part of the bandwagon of scientists who are short sighted," Sikazwe said. "Yes, we are starving but we are saying no to the food the Americans are forcing on our throats." Sikazwe said if the US respected other nations, let it give Zambia the loan so that it could source the food from somewhere else. She said the women movement was behind government's rejection of US GM maize. "Please those with the money and mighty, don't force us to accept food which is not good for our people," Sikazwe said. She said she had information that some local scientists had a private meeting in Lusaka with some members of the donor community on Sunday night to map out strategies of supporting the call for government to accept US donated GM maize. "If I am pushed against the wall, I can mention their names," Sikazwe said. She reminded Zambians that during the Second World War scientists were used to commit crimes against humanity. "I hope our local scientists are not being used to commit crimes against their own people," said Sikazwe. A visibly shaken South African biosafety consultant Muffy Koch explained that the meeting questioned by Sikazwe was a gathering of scientists who were preparing to contribute to the GMOs debate. "It was a scientific meeting and there were no donors," said Koch. Secretary to the Cabinet Leslie Mbula who chaired the meeting blocked Dr. Goma from justifying his attending the questioned meeting. "I want to explain something because I attended the meeting," said Dr. Goma as Mbula interrupted saying: "No one has mentioned your name so there is no need for you to defend yourself." Sikazwe challenged Dr. Goma to prove whether he had the capacity to monitor the health status of Zambians living in rural areas. "Dr. Goma, I wonder whether you can monitor people in Chalimongela. Do you know where Lui Namabunga is? Do you know where Chalimongela is?" Sikazwe asked. "Mind you, people have no access to medical services." National Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) researcher Dr. Mwananyanda Mbikusita-Lewanika asked government to stop importing GMFs. Presenting a paper on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, National Science and Technology Council and NISIR, Dr. Lewanika advised government to avoid accepting GM maize from the US. He asked government to establish an interim administration structure to address issues pertaining to GMOs in the absence of a national biosafety framework. "The government should take steps that will lead to the development of national capacity to detect GMOs in food and foodstuff," Dr. Lewanika said. He explained that genetically engineered products had the potential to be toxic and a threat to human health. Dr. Lewanika revealed that in 1989, a genetically engineered brand of L-tryptophan, a common dietary supplement, killed 37 Americans and permanently disabled or afflicted more than 5,000 others with potentially fatal and painful blood disorder, eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS) before it was recalled by the Food and Drug Administration. He disclosed that manufacturer of EMS, Showa Denko, Japan's third largest chemical company had already paid out over US $2 billion in damages to EMS victims. Dr. Lewanika said GM foods increased cancer risks and contributed to the growing public health danger of antibiotic resistance infections that could not be cured with traditional antibiotics. He asked government to apply a precautionary principle because the country was in a situation where local scientists had different views on the GMOs. "The precautionary principle requires that care be taken, even if a direct cause and effect relationship between an activity and harm to human and animal health, including the environment has yet to be established scientifically," Dr. Lewanika said. "An underlying mandate of the precautionary principle is that, in the face of scientific uncertainty, a party should refrain from actions that might adversely affect human and animal health as well as harm environment and that those who oppose that prohibition have a burden of proof of assuring the safety of the proposed action." Dr. Lewanika said international practice dictated that GMOs should only be exported following explicit consent by the receiving country. "Donated GM maize can be disposed at the expense of the donors," Dr. Lewanika said. "The failure by the international community to address the issue of liability and redress in the Cartagena Protocol entails that Zambia has to be cautious when considering the introduction GMOs in the country especially that even the developers of GMOs are now washing their hands out of the issue. The absence of an international regime on liability and redress will leave countries like ours at the mercy of products of GMOs." Mbula asked Zambians to exercise their sense of patriotism and nationalistic on the issue. "Put Zambians above anything," said Mbula. Science, technology and vocational training minister Abel Chambeshi disclosed that government had withdrawn its policy on GMOs in order to allow further consultations. He appealed to the donor community to assist the country acquire basic equipment that would enable the nation monitor the development and use of GMOs. "Condemnation of any perceived government's inaction, as witnessed in the last few days, merely increases suspicions and may even invite allegations of arm-twisting," said Chambeshi. Sikatana said it would not help the country by condemning government over its rejection of the GM maize. He said there was serious need to identify the risks involved in the importation of GM maize. Sikatana said much of the information he had come across indicated that the country should be careful on GMOs. "Biotechnology can be a hazard. If it means to dig roots as our grand parents used to do, we will do so if GMFs are a risk," Sikatana said. "Don't condemn us for taking precautions." He said government would take measures against WFP disclosure that the organisation had been distributing GM maize during the last seven years. "We will ensure that the matter is dealt with firmly. The recipient has the right to know the status of the maize being donated," said Sikatana. WFP country representative Richard Ragan said his organisation had not received any complaints of GMFs negatively affecting human health. Mbula said government was aware of Zambians being without food. "We want them to be fed but with proper food. Government want to be sure that GMFs will not affect our future generations. WFP concern is to provide people with food and government's task is to ensure that people are fed with proper food," said Mbula. Chief Chikanta of Kalomo district said the country needed local professionals' advice to make informed decisions on GMFs. However, chief Chikanta urged government to take immediate measures to save the people from starvation. "Our communities are on the verge of death. There is no need for this debate to take two weeks at the expense of dying Zambians," said chief Chikanta. Zambia National Farmers Union official Lovemore Simwanda said it was wrong for government to use hunger as an agenda to base the GMFs debate on. He said hunger was supposed to have been discussed much earlier. Simwanda wondered why the US insisted on providing GM maize when it produced 70 per cent of GMO-free maize. UNZA's dean of the School of Natural Sciences, Luke Mumba, dismissed fears that the GMFs would outcrop the local conventional maize. He said chances that GM maize could germinate were very low. Mumba said risks posed by the importation of GM maize were negligible. "People have argued that posterity will judge this generation harshly if 30 years from now it is found that this maize if poisonous. This argument is neither here nor there because history too will judge us harshly if today we let 2. 3 million Zambians die of starvation unnecessarily and then 30 years down the line it is confirmed that GM maize is just okay after all," said Mumba amid jeering from other participants. FDD national chairman Simon Zukas asked government to accept GM maize being offered to the country by the US. "We are not doing anyone favour. My view is that we should accept it," said Zukas. Sikatana informed the meeting that government had already signed a contract with local millers to source for 300,000 metric tonnes of GMO free maize. He said government would further source 175, 000 metric tonnes of GMO-free maize. "Another donor has pledged to provide funding for the purchase of maize. I will let the nation know details about this next week," said Sikatana.