By HELEN ZULU –
ZAMBIA should maintain its stance on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to continue gaining economic advantage, especially in the agriculture sector.
The Zambia Alliance for Agro-ecology and Biodiversity Conservation (ZAABC) says government’s long-standing non-GMOs stance gave the country significant economic advantage over other countries.
This is in view of many countries globally that are banning the importation of food
products containing GMOs.
ZAABC chairperson Emmanuel Mutamba said Zambia was in a unique and strategic position to take advantage of the growing market.
This is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday.
“Globally more and more countries are banning genetically engineered (GE) crops and the importation of food products containing GMOs.
“Zambia has been applauded for upholding its ‘Non-GMO’ position by the international community, Zambian consumers, farmers, religious and political leadership alike,” Mr Mutamba said.
He said GMO seeds were patented and cost far more than conventional seeds, and that the claim by the biotech industry that GMO crops gave farmers higher yields was false as yield and drought tolerance were inherent characteristics of seed breeding.
“Zambia’s Biosafety Act is founded on the Cartagena Protocol under the Convention of Biological Diversity.
“A key element in the Zambia Biosafety Act is the liability and redress clause. This clause ensures that those who bring GMOs into Zambia will be liable for any resulting health, economic and environmental damage,” Mr Mutamba said.
He said once Zambia allows in one GMO product, it would be more difficult to say no to others, adding that there was need to guard the rights of Zambians and refuse to be persuaded  by false claims on  the GMO industry and its beneficiaries.
Mr Mutamba urged the National Biosafety Authority to advocate further strengthening of the law which in its current form stands out as one of the most progressive in the world.
ZAABC members include the Green Living Movement, Participatory Ecological Land-Use Management-Zambia, Community Technology Development Trust, and Kasisi Agriculture Training Centre.
Others are Zambia Climate Change Network and the East and Southern Africa Small-scale Farmers Forum, Chalimbana River Headwaters Conservation Trust, and the Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia.