'Say no fear mongers on the passing of the biotechnology and biosafety Bill"

By Expedito Olimi

In response to the article on rejection of GMOs by Brian Mugabi that featured in Sunday Vision of May.24.2015, I would like to make it clear that GM technology is not a new technology as many of us think.

For instance, the vaccines and insulin hormone which have for long been used are products of genetic engineering.

More so, recent research on the genetic material (DNA) of sweet potatoes has revealed natural incorporation of the gene sections of a bacterium Agrobacterium Tumefaciens which in a natural setting infects plants. It is this same bacterium that scientists exploited to transfer genes of interest leading to creation of GMOs.

The fact that sweet potatoes are consumed almost globally justifies that GM crops from natural transformation events by microorganisms have been consumed. Therefore the skepticism we have is unjustifiable and also based on fear mongers who are opposed to the technology on non factual grounds.

The notion that the bill shouldn’t be passed is like a two sided coin, the other side being that the prevention of the bill from being passed will not in any way prevent GM products from reaching our markets.

In my view if anyone is really truly concerned about the health of Ugandans then should be in favor for the passing of the bill because having no regulations concerning this new technology is equivalent to leaving it open for abuse when in the wrong hands.

The best way of tackling this is to pass the bill or at least in act regulations concerning the GM technology. There’s no completely perfect law, that’s why the Ugandan constitution is subject to amendment especially when a law is found wanting so should the bill be treated.

A number of issues are already attributed to the rising cancer in our own country so to speak. Is it because of GM crops that aren’t yet even on the market or something else. I think we should stop being hypocrites.

This GM technology is only meant to be applied where conventional means have failed or are struggling not to replace the conventional methods but rather to complement them. Therefore the notion about us depending on the western world for seeds doesn’t hold and is a misconception.

The GM crops being researched are tailor made for our country’s specific needs and are well researched to do so and not to make us dependent on the west. For information Uganda’s research institutes have been developing technologies and products which have been offered free of charge to farmers and no complaints have been raised. Incorporation of GM research is also another option that agricultural ministry through her research stations has observed as a solution to some challenges which conventional approaches like breeding have failed to work.

Besides the technology is already out there, how in world shall we be able to detect and ban harmful GM products from reaching our market without a law?

With a law we shall be in position to at least control and arrest that issue through parameters like labeling and testing for genetic modification on in coming products. Kampala was neither ready for Jennifer Musisi when she came but look at the progress she has made in the city. A journey of 1000 steps begins with 1 and we are already lagging behind on the 1st step.

Passing a Bill is the 1st step. You will never be ready for anything unless you make preparation, what better way of doing so than by passing the bill. If it is found inadequate then people would be forced to improve it eventually.

Pass the bill and subject it to a test run. How shall you know whether it works or not if it remains on the shelves of parliament? Ironically even those countries you always quote to have banned GM products have a law or bill that they use to do that, why shoot ourselves in the foot? “Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity and failure to handle challenges is a debt to pay for in the future”

The writer is a scientist at Centre for Life sciences-Uganda