Report cautions parliament on GMO bill

KAMPALA - Considering GMOs to be dangerous, a report generated from consultations by the committee on science and technology has cautioned government and parliament against rushing to pass the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill.

 

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are animal or plant organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. The process of making GMOs is called modern biotechnology or genetic engineering. 

 

After a heated debate in the House in November 2013, the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga deferred debate on the bill so that MPs consult their constituents before enactment.   

 

After various stakeholders like Uganda Pharmaceuticals Association, Uganda Youth Platform, Dr. Opiyo Oloya, Dr. Joseph Okia, Uganda Human Rights Commission and concerned citizens among others had approached the Speaker to raise their concerns about the bill, Rebecca Kadaga facilitated the committee to convene a conference for all stakeholders and come up with recommendations.

 

 

These consultations were done last month and the committee has written a report which outlines the various concerns from the stakeholders.

 

Briefing New Vision about the content of the report over the weekend, the committee chairman Anthony Ssemuli said, “We have a very big challenge because even scientists disagree on this bill. The bill is highly technical. We have to go slow and make more consultations and research. There is no reason to rush this bill.”

 

Going by the contradicting views from various stakeholders including disagreements among scientists, Parliament will have an uphill task in refining the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill to especially safeguard the interests of Uganda against the interests of multinational seed giants like Mosanto.

 

Considering that there are already GMO products in the market coupled with so many unregulated field trials for GMOs, Ssemuli said there is need for a law to regulate the use of GMOs.

 

“There are many stakeholders who want us to allow GMOs for pharmaceutical products and prohibit GMO food products. Whichever way, we need a law so that Ugandans are protected,” he explained.

 

 

Drawing from recommendations in the report, Ssemuli called upon all Ugandans to debate the bill objectively – considering all the concerns and views.

 

“It is something to do with our life. We should be careful on how we handle it. But at all costs, we need the law in place either to ban GMOs or to regulate them,” he proposed. 

 

Ssemuli, who is the MP for Buweekula County, reported that in the benchmarking trip they made to the UK, the scientists there warned them that GMOs are very dangerous.

 

Arguing that Uganda’s comparative advantage in the international market is in selling organic food, Dr. Opiyo Oloya has cautioned Uganda against allowing GMOs which he said have potential to contaminate Uganda’s organic food.

 

“Organic food is four times more expensive than GMO food. GMOs have health-related problems. The American and European markets will not buy GMO products from the Ugandan market,” Oloya argued in his paper which he submitted to the committee.

 

 

Citing countries like Sri Lanka, Sweden, Germany, Algeria, Norway, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Egypt, Italy, Poland and many other countries which have banned GMO crops, Uganda Youth Platform (UYP) program manager Jude Nkoyoyo requested the Uganda government to establish why most countries have banned GMOs before the Bill can be considered.

 

“Are our Ugandan scientists better than scientists in Europe who have influenced European countries to ban GMOs?

 

“Currently, only six countries all over Europe have allowed GMO seeds, crops, foods, animal products and yet GMO technology started 25 years back. France’s agriculture ministry banned the sale, use and cultivation of GMOs,” Nkoyoyo stated.

 

Giving other examples, Nkoyoyo said: “The Russian parliament passed the anti-GMO bill, and President Vladimir Putin of Russia referred to GMO promoters as terrorists. If found with GMOs in Russia one is sentenced to a minimum of 15 years and above in jail.

 

Calling for investigations into the matter, the UYP leaders, concerned citizens led by State House’s Faith Katana and Dr. Joseph Okia, a medical scientist at Mulago, gave reports indicating that multinational seed companies have been compromising Ugandan scientists to mislead the country into embracing GMOs. 

 

Katana gave information on how some individuals behind seed multinational giants said they would be able to reduce the world’s population through biotechnology products like GMOs.

 

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, while speaking during an agricultural conference at parliament recently, cautioned all stakeholders against accepting GMOs.

 

“We should not accept seeds supplied by foreign companies which cannot be replanted. That would be enslavement,” he said.