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News :: Civil & Human Rights : Economy : Environment : Globalization : Health : International Relations : Political-Economy |
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GM food ban in Angola threatens the most vunerable |
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by CERRV via Scott
Email: scottisimo (nospam) hotmail.com (verified) |
01 Feb 2005
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SUMMARY & COMMENT: A recent law in Angola has banned the import and use
of GM foods. This is raising concern that donor contributions to
food-aid will be reduced. Given the role that biotech companies are now
playing in the controlling of food access, it is reasonable to expect
that pressure will be placed on the Angolan government to change their
new position. |
TITLE: Angola: GM food ban comes into effect, sparks World Food
Programme concern
CATEGORY: Ecology
DATE: 1/25/2005
Source: IRIN
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GM food ban comes into effect, sparks World Food Programme concern
An Angolan law banning the import and use of genetically modified (GM)
foods has come into effect, sparking fears that donor contributions -
already being scaled back - will be cut even further. The law, which
came into effect in December 2004, prohibits the entry of GM seeds and
grains unless destined for food relief.
But even food-aid grains, like maize, must be milled before they are
distributed to beneficiaries, either before arriving in the country or
soon after. Humanitarian workers fear this costly milling process will
mean less produce will get through to the one million people in Angola -
many of them internally displaced persons or returning refugees - who
still rely on food aid to survive.
The World Food Programme (WFP) insisted it was not trying to pressurise
the government into accepting GM products, but warned that the new law
could adversely effect food contributions from donors. "This ban affects
WFP because it could reduce the donations we receive. Some donors have
already expressed their intention to reduce donations because of the
extra costs the milling would imply," WFP spokesman, Cristovao Simao,
told IRIN.
WFP said it had sufficient food in its warehouses to help beneficiaries
until March, and would distribute 9,000 metric tonnes of food to around
900,000 people in January, but the future was less certain. "The
question remains: who will bear the extra costs for milling new food aid
arriving to Angola, now that the new law has come into effect?" Simao
wondered.
The UN food agency has been informing donors for several months of the
government’s intention to change the law, and have asked for donations
of non-GM food or maize meal that has already been milled. "Another
solution is for donor countries to donate cash instead, and we can buy
food in Angola and in the region," he noted. Some large donor countries
have already begun cutting their contributions. "When the government’s
intention was first announced at the start of 2004, we were expecting
about 19,000 metric tonnes of maize from the United States. This was
later replaced by just 14,000 tonnes of sorghum, which is not a GM crop,
and this has had an impact on our beneficiaries," Simao said. United
States embassy representatives were not immediately available to
comment.
WFP has faced a severe funding crisis since the beginning of 2004 and
still needs US $50 million to see its operations through until the end
of 2005, while ongoing cereal shortages have forced it to halve cereal
rations. "We’ve reduced the food rations of the less vulnerable, even
some of the returnees, reserving it for the most vulnerable. This has
enabled us to continue giving food aid to everyone," Simao said. |
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