William Ruto roots for use of GMOs to increase food production

African states were on Tuesday told to consider the use biotechnology (genetically modified organisms) to increase food production.

Deputy President William Ruto said the continent could not continue using the same old production methods and expect to feed the growing population.

He spoke at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, in Nairobi, during an international conference attended by representatives from 80 countries.

The meeting, dubbed ‘Revolutionising Financing Agri-value Chains’, is aimed at finding alternative and affordable ways of providing credit to the sector.

“There are many myths and superstitions over bio-technology. Some scientists have not told the truth on it. The question we should be asking is how to get Africa to use biotechnology in food production to deal with hunger and poverty,” Mr Ruto said.

The debate on use of GMOs continues to rage with resistance from particularly civil society, which argues that such food has not been certified as fit for human consumption. (READ: To go or not to go GMO is the question)

The National Biosafety Authority’s was recently put on the spot after 12 popular food products were found to contain more than the allowed limit of GMO content.

The authority — charged with preventing the entry of genetically modified products into the country through the ports and border controls — had submitted 25 samples to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service Kephis for testing.

FURTHER TESTS

While only three products were found to contain excess quantity of GM in the first tests, the authority said the rest would be subjected to further tests though they were equally suspicious.

Most of the products under scrutiny are popular cereals, food additives, cooking oil, and maize flour, underlining the possibility that many Kenyans could be consuming genetically modified foodstuffs unknowingly. (READ: MPs ‘prove’ banned food in local shops)

Mr Ruto, however, said the continent had to consider alternative methods that could help increase food production, including a shift to irrigation farming.