The Zambian government confirmed on Tuesday that it would not accept genetically modified food aid for the 2.5 million Zambians facing severe food shortages.
Zambia's president Levy Mwanawasa has described GM food as "poison", but in August 2002 agreed to send a delegation to South Africa, Europe and the US to assess the risks.
The delegation is now reported to have concluded that GM food poses too great a risk to be accepted. Zambia's agriculture minister Mundia Sikatana said on Tuesday: "In the face of scientific uncertainty the country should thus refrain from action that might adversely affect human and animal heath, as well as harm the environment."
GM aid has been offered to Zambia by the US Agency for International Development, via the World Food Program (WFP). The WFP says it will be hard to find enough non-GM food to feed all of Zambia's hungry people in the next few months.
Rising need
A WFP spokesman told New Scientist: "At the moment we haven't heard reports of people starving to death. The main problem is people suffering from HIV and AIDS. If they don't have the right nutrition then they are going to start dying. Clearly if we cannot supply them for November there will be people suffering in Zambia."
During October, the WFP was only able to supply food to 50 per cent of those suffering from food shortages. The WFP predicts the number needing food will increase to 3.3 million before the next harvest in March 2003.
"We accept the right of any government to reject GM food," says Jorgen Schlundt, of the World Health Organization's food safety program. "But we believe the GM foods on the market do not represent a health risk. They have gone through risk assessment and have actually been eaten for many years."
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Some environmental groups commended Zambia's decision to refuse US GM supplies. But opposition politicians in Zambia have condemned the move.
Leader of the UPND opposition party, Saqwibo Sikota, told the BBC's Network Africa there is no scientific evidence that GM food poses a health risk.
Six other southern African nations face food shortages and possible famine in coming months. Four of these, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho have agreed to receive GM food aid provided that it is milled so that it cannot be planted and contaminate indigenous crops.
Will Knight
This story is from NewScientist.com's news service - for more exclusive news and expert analysis every week subscribe to New Scientist print edition.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992990
Zambia's president Levy Mwanawasa has described GM food as "poison", but in August 2002 agreed to send a delegation to South Africa, Europe and the US to assess the risks.
The delegation is now reported to have concluded that GM food poses too great a risk to be accepted. Zambia's agriculture minister Mundia Sikatana said on Tuesday: "In the face of scientific uncertainty the country should thus refrain from action that might adversely affect human and animal heath, as well as harm the environment."
GM aid has been offered to Zambia by the US Agency for International Development, via the World Food Program (WFP). The WFP says it will be hard to find enough non-GM food to feed all of Zambia's hungry people in the next few months.
Rising need
A WFP spokesman told New Scientist: "At the moment we haven't heard reports of people starving to death. The main problem is people suffering from HIV and AIDS. If they don't have the right nutrition then they are going to start dying. Clearly if we cannot supply them for November there will be people suffering in Zambia."
During October, the WFP was only able to supply food to 50 per cent of those suffering from food shortages. The WFP predicts the number needing food will increase to 3.3 million before the next harvest in March 2003.
"We accept the right of any government to reject GM food," says Jorgen Schlundt, of the World Health Organization's food safety program. "But we believe the GM foods on the market do not represent a health risk. They have gone through risk assessment and have actually been eaten for many years."
Related Stories
Food aid may halt over GM row
17 September 2002
GM row delays food aid to Zimbabwe
31 July 2002
EU to permit new GM crops
17 October 2002
For more related stories
search the print edition Archive
Weblinks
Zambia, World Health Organization
World Food Programme
US Agency for International Development
Milled grain
Some environmental groups commended Zambia's decision to refuse US GM supplies. But opposition politicians in Zambia have condemned the move.
Leader of the UPND opposition party, Saqwibo Sikota, told the BBC's Network Africa there is no scientific evidence that GM food poses a health risk.
Six other southern African nations face food shortages and possible famine in coming months. Four of these, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho have agreed to receive GM food aid provided that it is milled so that it cannot be planted and contaminate indigenous crops.
Will Knight
This story is from NewScientist.com's news service - for more exclusive news and expert analysis every week subscribe to New Scientist print edition.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992990
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