Genetically Modified Crops in African Agriculture
by Devlin Kuyek (GRAIN)
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Introduction
Genetic engineering has made a rapid entry into agriculture. In less than a decade since the commercial introduction of the first genetically modified (GM) crops, more than 50 million hectares have been planted to GM crops around the world.[1] Proponents claim that by transferring genes from one organism to another, genetic engineering can overcome the productivity constraints of conventional plant breeding. It is claimed that the new transgenic crops will reduce pesticide use and increase food security in developing countries—a promise that these countries desperately want to believe. It is also widely claimed that the ‘new’ global economy will be built on genetic engineering, and any country that stands on the sidelines will lose its future competitiveness. These claims have influenced policy-making circles in Africa. In a letter to then President Bill Clinton of the US, Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi wrote, “While the Green Revolution was a remarkable success in Asia it largely bypassed Africa. Today the international community is on the verge of the biotechnology revolution which Africa cannot afford to miss.” 2
Amidst the enthusiasm for genetic engineering, there has been little space for critical reflection. Is this new technology appropriate for African agricultural systems and what are the implications if it is taken up? The experience of other countries shows that that leaping towards genetic engineering brings with it a wide range of biosafety issues and broader socio-economic impacts. It requires the acceptance of intellectual property rights on living organisms, the privatisation of public research, and
expensive research and development (R&D) to the detriment of farmer-based innovation. What will this mean for Africa and its small farmers in particular? Moreover, is there any reason to believe that the new “gene revolution” will be any more successful than the failed Green Revolution in Africa?
Despite these limitations and the potential dangers of GM crops, genetic engineering is rapidly moving into the continent, running over biosafety concerns and democratic processes as it goes. This briefing looks at who is pushing the technology and who is asking for it; it analyses whether GM crops are safe and questions whether African farmers really need it. It provides several case studies that look at some of the transgenic crops that are being used to lead the charge into Africa. These examples suggest that in addition to offering little to Africa’s small farmers, they threaten to further undermine the fragile agricultural systems that these farmers depend upon.
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