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Kenya: Government wants to impose GMOS 'by force'

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The grand scheme to introduce genetically modified foods into Kenya seemed to shift into top gear after the Ministry of Agriculture launched a campaign last month to make the country appreciate them.

First, Minister for Agriculture, William Ruto, who has on several occasions publicly expressed his support for the introduction of GM foods into the country, launched the National Biotechnology Awareness Strategy last month.

According to a statement Ruto sent to the press, the strategy was aimed at offering Kenyans "accurate and reliable information and knowledge" about such branches of biotechnology as tissue culture, molecular breeding and genetic modification.

"This will enable Kenyans to make informed decisions and be involved in determining the pace of adoption of biotechnology in the country," he said.

However, Ruto went ahead to state that Kenya will embrace GMOs, making it appear the government had launched the awareness campaign merely to state its pro-GMO stance.

This has led to fresh fears that the government has irrevocably decided on introduction, cultivation and commercialisation of GMOs in the country.

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The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology has also been preparing to take back to parliament a Bill that was heavily criticised last year for failing to address the concerns of farmers and consumers and for merely seeking to create the necessary legal framework for the introduction of GMOs in Kenya.

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"They want to do it by force, the so-called national awareness strategy is a mere gimmick," said Josphat Ngonyo of the Africa Network for Animal Welfare. Mr Ngonyo said KBioC, of which he is a member, has attempted to get the agriculture minister to listen to its side of the GMO story to no avail. KBioC is anumbrella body representing over 50 farmers' groups, religious organisations, consumer organisations and NGOs.

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But one of the leading proponents of genetic engineering in Kenya, Dr Florence Wambugu, told The EastAfrican that those opposed to the introduction and proliferation of GMOs in Africa are profiteers and fearmongers.

"There are those who get business from fearmongering," she said. She also accused Greenpeace International of offering false information by claiming that some of the maize seeds grown in Kenya are contaminated by GM-materials.

This drew the ire of a Greenpeace official who accused Dr Wambugu of employing "scare tactics" in campaigning for GMOs in Africa.

"The genetic engineering industry, and their spokesperson for Africa, Florence Wambugu, must be really desperate if they are now resorting to lies, and ridiculous ones... Greenpeace never ever endangered the environment, the life of farmers and the health of consumers by putting a single genetically engineered seed into any soil anywhere in the world, and whoever suggests the opposite is completely out of touch with reality," said Jan Van Aken of Greenpeace's Sustainable Agriculture.

What is interesting is that even though she denied that Monsanto ever funded her in her pro-GMO campaign, Dr Wambugu nevertheless admitted that she gets money from such bodies as the United States Development Agency (USAid), Rockefeller Foundation, Dupont and CropLife International.

The latter is an organisation represented in 91 countries whose members include the global who's-who of the genetic engineering industry -- BASF, Bayer CropScience, Dow Agrosciences, Dupont, FMC, Monsanto, Sumitomo and Syngenta. Dr Wambugu is the founder of Africa Harvest, which campaigns for GMOs in Africa.
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  • added October 07, 2008
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24 responses // Kenya: Government wants to impose GMOS 'by force'

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    US AID, the Rockefeller Foundation, The Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation...all backing GMOs. So because they all have money it will be forced upon the people who do not want it. These foundations and government entities and officials pushing GMOS funded by Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont, etc. will decide the fate of this world using us as guinea pigs. Our world will be a toxic wasteland filled with poisoned waterways and fields filled with unnatural organisms imposed by force by using payola to government agencies and politicians in collusion with agencies and corporations to hijack our global food supply if we do not fight this. It has already happened in South America, America, Asia, parts of Europe, and is now looking to spread in Africa. They do not wish to feed the world, they wish to control it.

    recommended by Vierotchka
    JanforGore
  •  

    Fighting GMOS in Africa

    The people have spoken.

    recommended by VoyagerFilms, Vierotchka
    JanforGore
  •  
    Image...

    When you force and bully a people into accepting this, it is not out of the goodness of your heart that you do it.The people of Africa as the people of Europe and every continent this bacteria infected food is on need to boycott it and stand up to those forcing it on them. It is the only way to save the biodiversity of this planet.

    recommended by Vierotchka, VoyagerFilms
    JanforGore
  •  

    They have done this in India, also. The Agricultural Department made it a crime for farmers to trade local seeds among themselves.
    But the GMOs are so expensive, farmers have no choice.

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    csmonut
  •  

    I fear they only wish to introduce it in Kenya to make biofuel. They will use land to make farmers grow their frankencorn to make ethanol claiming it is 'sustainable' while farmers in Kenya as in india struggle to afford seed and herbicides every year. Hell, they have already coined the phrase "crop protection" to describe the chemical poisons they spray these crops with. Their deception knows no bounds. I now also wonder if their imposing this in countries where the majority of people don't want it will lead to conflict...The fact that a multi national company (especially one with the reputation of a Monsanto) can run the policy of any country over the will of its people merely by throwing money at it sickens me.

    recommended by Vierotchka, VoyagerFilms
    JanforGore
  •  

    The so-called Peace Coalition in Kenya is a farce. Its a band-aid until someone else chooses to pick up arms and fight for their livelihood.

    Ruto is putting another log in the fire and fueling a controversial issue, benefiting the wealthy that have already denied farmland to thousands of Kenyans and is now aiming to forcibly introduce something that is, once again, disenfranchising the thousands of poor farmers, disabling the local markets, and wrecking havoc on the quality of life of Kenyans - at least those outside the comfort zone Ruto seems to find himself in.

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    achanceforpeace
  •  

    GMO's are evil, Monsanto is EVIL.

    VoyagerFilms
  •  

    Coercion (co-er-shion) is the practice of compelling a person or manipulating them to behave in an involuntary way (whether through action or inaction) by use of threats, intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. These are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way. Coercion may involve the actual infliction of physical pain/injury or psychological harm in order to enhance the credibility of a threat. The threat of further harm may then lead to the cooperation or obedience of the person being coerced. Torture is one of the most extreme examples of coercion i.e. severe pain is inflicted on victims until they give interrogators the desired information.

    Enjoy_Cannabis
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    And even in drought with loss of crops the farmers STILL do not want Monsanto in Africa! Why can't they understand that? People and farmers want NATURAL, ORGANIC, SAFE food. However, Monsanto doesn't care about the people of Kenya or any other country. And the US has been doing all in its power in collusion with them and other companies to slip GMOS into other countries clandestinely through food aid... which is now why countries will refuse aid because they don't want the transgenic contamination! How can Monsanto or any of these companies or government agencies claim that their frankenfood is the SAME as a conventional crop? There is no way it is! It is not conceived through a natural process. They are lying to make a profit and they are now exposing the world involuntarily to the acceptance of something that has not been adequately tested. Even the people of Kenya can see that. Monsanto already ruined Mexican corn biodiversity by using NAFTA to ship their crap into Mexico and pollute their traditional crops... yet they are not held accountable for any sort of environmental crime because of the smokescreen and false slogans they use. It is a travesty to see what they are getting away with. I do hope the people of Kenya stand up to this and demand conventional seeds to grow food with. There is no reason they can't have that and no reason why they need MONSANTO in their country.

    JanforGore
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    Genetically modified foods are okay! They increase yield and make crops more likely to survive in harsh climates.Genetically engineered foods go through rigorous FDA, EPA, and USDA tests. If we used nothing but organic methods on farm lands we could only feed 2/3rds of the worlds population.

    Read about Norman Borlaug.

    He saved an estimated BILLION people.

    HUMAN_CRACK
  •  

    Just another way to put money in the pockets of the few by enslaving many.

    barb_v
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    Gmo's/GE foods are not developed for our health and well being, they are experiments designed for corporation profit -- the bottom line. Human extinction is on the horizon... "Forgive them father, they know not what they do," but send me to hell, because I don't forgive them for raping our earth and endangering our species!

    Wow, things move fast here on Curent... this was on the front page 45 minutes ago, and now it's gone!

    jjmaster
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    GMOs are not ok, and anyone who tells you that is in my view either an employee of Monsanto, the FDA, the USDA, or just plain ignorant.

    JanforGore
  •  

    But, "This will enable Kenyans to make misinformed decisions and be pawns in determining the pace of adoption of biotechnology in the country," is what he meant.

    damnneargenius
  •  

    Evil is as evil does.

    damnneargenius
  •  

    Genetically modified by title puts a lot of people off, if you actually do your research little has changed and it is always for better. [Carrots - splitting gene, enhancing crops] thats sort of thing. Not bad would cost a lot.

    BOBALOB
  •  

    "Gmo's/GE foods are not developed for our health and well being, they are experiments designed for corporation profit -- the bottom line. Human extinction is on the horizon... " ---jjmaster

    First off, like Penn Jillette said in my previous video, genetically modified food has been around since the beginning of civilization. It's called selective breeding. Remember those Punnett squares you had to do in school?

    Anything a corporation/company/mom-and-pop shop does is going to be for profit. Hate to break it to ya, but that is how a free market works. Sure they might try to increase customer happiness, but that is only to make the customer come back. And what incentive would there be for a company to kill its paying customers? Dumbass.

    It's disturbing to always see on Current the words 'corporation' and 'profit' used as almost swear words.

    If people want to actually be totally anti-corporation throw away your Pumas, Hanes underwear, sell your Honda, Dell computer, etc etc and go live on a farm naked without GE electricity, FarberWare pots and pans etc.

    Corporations and companies may profit off what they sell, but don't YOU profit (non-monetarily) off what you buy? QUID PRO QUO BROTHA

    And as far as that last video JanforGore posted, it's pure fear mongering. I could go through each comment made in the video and explain how each is a farce, but I have neither the time or stamina to do so. I hope you can CRITICALLY think those ones out for yourself.

    Would you deny genetically modified food to a starving child because 'it hasn't been tested enough'?

    HUMAN_CRACK
  •  

    Ok dude lol a) Don't start a mass panic ;)
    b) Human extinction is a while off money prices/governments will get demolished in the fture currencies are bound to change as is the way of life. More things are hopefully going to turn green, i hope. If not say goodbye to your cars etc.. they will become ridiculously expensive as will petrol (double/triple in current prices £1.23 or whatever - £3.00 something) it will happen. Thus power to public transport and cycling :) So yes genetically modified food is good but i don't see extinction of all humans for at least a few generations down the line mate ;)

    BOBALOB

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