Minister pushes for GMO food to avert hunger in Zimbabwe
Sunday, 30 October 2011 13:59
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
SCIENCE and Technology minister Heneri Dzinotyiweyi (pictured right) says
government must lift the ban on genetically modified (GMOs) foods insisting
they have been scientifically proven to be safe for human consumption.
His call comes at a time when over 1,7 million people, mostly in the rural
areas, are said to be at the verge of starvation due to hunger.
Dzinotyiweyi’s appeal is supported by the Grain Millers Association of
Zimbabwe, which has also called on government to lift a ban on GMOs to avert
hunger amid widespread food shortages.
Dzinotyiweyi, a former University of Zimbabwe Dean of Science told
Standardbusiness that GMOs remained banned because there was no unanimity in
government as far as their use and consumption was concerned.
“From a scientific angle, nobody has shown that such products are unsafe,”
Dzinotyiweyi said. For us, as a developing country, to say they are unsafe
would be wrong.”
He added: “With the way the world is going, we cannot survive on
superstition. We have to respect scientific evidence and go along with it
that GMOs are good and boost food production.”
The former UZ lecturer urged farmers and millers to confront government so
that it can lift the ban of GMOs.
“I hope affected constituencies such as farmers and millers can confront
government on this with a desire to arrive at a conclusive position, which
is of interest to both the country as a whole and to themselves,” he said
Government banned the importation of genetically modified grain citing
health and environmental reasons.