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The severe drought affecting Kenya is affecting maize crops and threatening the country’s food security. In October, to mitigate the risk of shortage, the Head of State again authorized the cultivation and import of genetically modified (GMO) seeds. But the measure is debated.
It is the staple food in Kenya. Corn is consumed there daily by millions of inhabitants. But for the past four years, its maize production has been in freefall because Drought destroys its culture. As a result, Kenya’s dependence on maize imports skyrockets and its price soars in local markets, while 4 million Kenyans are already food insecure, according to the UN.
To mitigate the risk of shortage, Nairobi has taken measures: remove import duties on maize until next August. But above all: lift the moratorium in force for ten years on the use of GMOs. The Kenyan agricultural authority argues that some genetically modified seeds are ” more drought resistant and pests, and therefore capable of ensuring better yields and limiting the use of imports.
A fear of addiction to GMOs
But the measure sparked an outcry. Several groups of smallholder farmers and consumers have gone to court to seek the reversal of this decision. At the end of November, they obtained his temporary suspension. The use of GMOs therefore remains prohibited for the time being, until the High Court of Justice can rule.
These associations denounce the precipitation of the authorities and argue that “ GMO products pose a health risk “. Smallholders fear finding themselves GMO seed slaves ”, that is to say dependent on foreign companies which hold the patents for these seeds, and from which they would have to be bought every year. While traditionally in Kenya, farmers recycle their seeds year after year.