Uganda: Is GMO the Way to Go? Scientists Disagree On Bill
By Staff Writer
Ugandan Parliament will have a difficult task in refining the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill to especially safeguard the interests of Uganda against the interests of multinational seed giants like Mosanto.
This comes amidst contradicting views from various stakeholders including disagreements among top scientists in the country.
Some scientists have openly opposed, as others on Tuesday August 12 attempted to allay fears from MPs and other stakeholders on the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill which seeks to legalize Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) products in Uganda.
GMOs are animal or plant organisms in which the genetic material DNA has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. The process of making GMOs is called modern biotechnology or genetic engineering.
The meeting was the second discourse after another one which was held last week, after a heated debate in the parliament in November 2013, in which the house speaker Rebecca Kadaga deferred debate on the Bill so that MPs consult their constituents before its enactment.
Dr. Yona Baguma, the NARO research coordinator, responding to the fear of the hidden interests of multinational seed giants, said that Uganda scientists have the capacity to develop their own GMO products.
“Uganda has some of the best scientists in the world. Uganda has produced the first banana and cassava GMOs in the world,” said Baguma.
In a bid to justify the importance of having GMOs, he advised the Members of Parliament on the science and technology committee to only ensure that strict regulations are incorporated in the Bill to safeguard the interests of the country.
Citing examples of various crops attacked by various diseases that are threatening to cause their extinction, Dr. Baguma said use of GMOs to produce seeds that are disease resistant will be inevitable in various circumstances.
However, Baguma’s arguments were countered by another scientist, Dr. Joseph Okia of Mulago Hospital.
“We are not opposing use of science to solve problems. Our opposition is to Mosanto and those that represent Mosanto’s interests like Bill and Melinda Gates. We should restrict introduction of GMOs to only our scientists.” Okia said.
He gave the example of Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) as some of the projects involving Uganda scientists which are funded by Mosanto.
Dr. Robert Otto a representative of Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, also cautioned Uganda law makers against allowing GMO crops, arguing many of them have devastating effects like outcompeting indigenous species to point of extinction and having toxin which cause allergy to humans.
Otto explained that whereas there are GMO medicines like insulin and penicillin, the GMO crops are not as safe as GMO medicines due to the variation in the purification process.
Uganda Youth Platform (UYP) has urged the parliament to the withdrawal the Bill, via a presentation that aimed at warning Ugandans against the consequences of allowing GMOs in the country.
The youth group’s program manager, Jude Nkoyoyo pointed out countries such as Sweden, Algeria, Sri-Lanka, Paraguay, Germany, Greece, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Bolivia, Brazil, Egypt, Italy and many others which have banned GMO crops and requested the government to establish why most countries have banned GMOs before the Bill can be considered.
UYP leaders asked parliament to probe science and research initiatives in Uganda to establish the magnitude to which they are being funded and influenced by multinational seed companies.
Dr. Maxwell Otim, the deputy executive secretary for National Council for Science and Technology said, “We have competent scientists who are well equipped to protect Uganda’s interests. Of course GMOs have negative side effects, but we shall have mechanisms in place to test GMOs and ensure that only those that are safe are allowed into our market,” said Dr. Maxwell Otim, deputy executive secretary for National Council for Science and Technology in Uganda.
Speaking as a concerned citizen, Faith Katana from State House gave information on how some individuals behind seed giants said they would be able to reduce the world’s population through biotechnology products like GMOs.
Katana also cited an example of her relative who planted GMO bananas and there was crop failure for the third generation of the entire plantation and no other crop could be successfully grown on the soil.
GMOs in Africa have been met with mixed reactions from the general population and governments, with some supporting their introduction as a supplement to other current crops being cultivated in the continent, as a way of countering the harsh droughts as a result of global warming, hence combating food insecurity and famine, while some view them as suspicious in terms of their maturity rate or duration and the harmful chemicals they are purported to contain.