THERE are times when we say let’s do away with emotions on this subject. Let’s focus on the practicality of this Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) animal. We have heard arguments for and against GMOs and these are not conclusive. The animated debates seem like hullabaloos — passionate, cantankerous and gregarious. They are devoid of financial or economical justifications for or against the use of GMOs whether at macro or micro level .

Economics says GMOs are the route to take whichever way you look at it. GMOs scientifically haven’t been proven to be a nuisance. Maybe just like cancer we might discover that years down the road that they (GMOs) are costly and the huge health bill will be uneconomic, an example being the Aids pandemic. This could bring down many economies especially African economies which are agro and raw materials-based.

This might require millions of dollars if not billions to rectify the problem.

There is a huge difference between food security and food integrity. In food security you are only worried about having food to sustain the hunger needs. You take whatever is available. This favours Genetically Modified (GM) production. On the other hand under food integrity you determine how you produce, what you produce, where you produce, for whom, for how much, when and the quantities. This is against GM production.

We need to define whether we need food security or food integrity.

We have banned the importation of non-GM grains and cereals but we allow goods produced from GMOs to be sold in the country then we complain that the local farmer is dear .

The stock feeds, the milk, the beef and beef products, yoghurts, cheese, eggs, ice cream and most imported products are derived from GM products and yet we expect the local farmer (small plot holders) to compete. We also expect the manufacturer with no capital and obsolete systems to produce competitively.

(Please note MoB Capital advocates for a level playing field not protectionism.) This isn’t a level playing field due to policy inconsistencies. This is tantamount to exporting jobs on a huge scale in the agricultural sector and yet we complain of inefficiencies in the economic system.

Even the seed the small informal farmer is using is GM produced because he has abandoned his African way of preserving seed for the next farming season. Their farming integrity and independence is compromised by numerous factors.

To compound the problem the market is not yet sophisticated enough to label and price GM products accordingly.

Chicken makhaya from Binga sells at more or less the same price as a GMO broiler but how long does it take to rear these free range road runners. The same applies to small grains from Hwange which sell at unfavourable prices despite them being of good quality in all aspects.

Assuming GM production and processing is toxic, we are saying let us be “killed” by our own farmers and empower our own by allowing them to produce GM products since we are already consuming these products. We might as well make money while we are “dying” than through increasing the import bill. We might as well save jobs while we are being “killed” by our own.

Eventually they will cater for our medical bills as most of the money generated would not have left our borders.

Are we saying we accept “unhealthy” products if they are imports, otherwise it’s not permissible. The old adage of saying everything foreign is good seems to ring true here because we fail to comprehend the failure to total banning of GM products and by products.

If we can’t produce GM products for ourselves at least let’s produce for others (exports).We have the infrastructure lying idle.

We partner with the Brazilians and utilise all the chicken runs to produce GM chickens for exports.

We ask the Israelis to partner us in horticulture production and we go massive on GM production and export our agricultural produce. We don’t see anything wrong with that. The exercise will generate so much revenue.

We know experts argue about soil toxicity but with the revenues generated we will be in a position to rectify that and it won’t be a catastrophe at all.

The down side of weeds and pests will be overshadowed by the capital generated.

With all the prison facilities and prisoners we have GM production becomes an avenue we can use to revive industries in the shortest possible time due to spins offs aided by value addition of products through processing plants.

Coupled by the vast tracts of undeveloped land we will get massive investments to cater for all GM production facilities and the return on investments is guaranteed as you can’t go wrong with food as a business worldwide.

It’s an avenue for Special Economic Zones (SEZ). We are assured of getting serious FDIs in this sector if it’s mandated from this delicate acute angle.

Imagine land, prison facilities, cost effective prisoners, GMOs, warders, SEZs, FDIs, GMs under one tutelage? Wow ! That is a multi-billion project.

So we need to maximise unless we discover that yes indeed GMOs are a real health hazard and from the proceeds we would be in a position to cover ourselves of any risks therein.

Unlike just sitting by the fence and we discover it was just a false alarm and we will have starved to death and with no financial resources to talk about.

From a statistical permutations and combinations approach we are better off with GM production on a large scale and derive revenues that will be needed in case of emergency.

If not needed then we would have created the necessary financial reserves to buttress our economy. The buffer created is necessary and crucial in the growth of the economy.

In any case since we are still consuming imported GMOs we don’t have much of a choice but to counter by producing GM as well given that land is our competitive advantage.

At times we need to be bold and tackle these challenges head on with the tenacity of a matador. These are extraordinary times and we need extra ordinary measures.