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Faith, justice groups denounce imposition of GM food aid on Africa
(Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002 -- CropChoice news)--
Africa Faith & Justice Network Press Release,
http://www.afjn@afjn.org:
The Africa Faith & Justice Network, a USA-based NGO comprised of Catholic
religious and social justice groups, denounced USA policies of imposing
genetically modified (GM) food aid on southern African countries facing
severe drought and famine. Dr. Lawrence J. Goodwin, representing AFJN at
the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, stated, "This
tactic blatantly benefits agri-business, not poor and hungry people."
Echoing the analysis of many NGOs at the summit, he said, "The USA could
have paid to mill the American maize, as southern African governments
requested, or purchased organic grain to send to the drought-stricken
region, instead of insisting on shipping GM whole grain knowing that local
farmers would plant it."
Goodwin, who worked in Africa for 10-years, expressed dismay at USA moves to
use the desperate situation in southern Africa for its own market advantage.
"Africans have consistently rejected GM grain. Now pollen from the
genetically altered maize will contaminate local varieties, which USA
companies expect will ultimately make local farmers dependent on corporate
seeds and herbicides," he said. "Corporations can claim patent rights over
farmers' crops that have been polluted by the GM plants, which will only
lead to African smallholder farmers losing control of their seeds, crops,
and perhaps of their land itself." By planting GM seeds, African countries
will also lose access to their primary export market, Europe, causing
long-term devastation to their struggling economies.
AFJN has worked for 20-years on economic justice for Africa and spent the
last 2-years urging the USA Government to support African farmer and
community rights. In November 2001 it was instrumental in the introduction
of a House of Representatives resolution upholding African community
prerogatives to access, save, use and breed seeds and crops as opposed to
corporate actions to own and control them.
"The USA wants to see its corporations control life's most basic resources,
including seeds, food crops and water," Goodwin said. "Unfortunately for
southern Africa, the drought plays right into this unprincipled strategy."
E-mail afjn@afjn.org Website http://afjn.cua.edu | |
