Drought and famine stricken nations in southern Africa should not reject donations of genetically modified food, officials from the United States and the World Health Organization argued this week. U.N. Food and
Agricultural Organization Director Jacques Diouf asked drought-hit southern African countries not to bar genetically modified food aid, saying the best available evidence determined it was safe.

On the other hand, the US was accused at the WSSD of putting intense pressure on United Nations organisations, the European Union and individual countries to support the export of GM food aid to six African countries facing severe hunger in the coming months. Three countries
were insisting that the food be milled to prevent the seeds being planted by farmers who may unwittingly pre-empt national legislation.

Zambia's chief scientific adviser said that if his country accepted unprocessed food aid a precedent would be set undermining its legal and democratic systems. Farmers organisation have also risen against the US move to bully around with GM food in the garb of humanitarian aid.

GM crops and food has become the most contentious of the issues hogging the limelight at the WSSD at Johannesburg. AgBioIndia had repeatedly warned from the very beginning of the real intention of the WSSD process -- to push GM foods onto the majority world in the name of hunger and
malnutrition. Sustainable development needs GM foods, after all it sustains the multi-billion dollar biotechnology industry, which in turn sustains the scientists and politicians all over the world. The vicious cycle is all too apparent. The authoritative analysis below will
decipher the dirty politics of GM food for you.

Don't expect the Johannesburg Summit to give you the final verdict. You too can make a difference. All you need to do is to raise your voice, at whatever platform you can.

After all, food is the biggest weapon!