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Dr Fee asserts Zambia’s right to decide on GMOs

Dr Fee asserts Zambia’s right to decide on GMOs
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, February 26, 2009 8:33:35 AM

EUROPEAN Commission head of delegation to Zambia Dr Derek Fee has said Zambia has a sovereign right to take its own decision on consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMO).

However, Dr Fee explained that the European Union (EU) takes stringent precautionary measures on importation of Genetically Modified (GM) farm produce to avoid affecting the human health and the environment.

Commenting on President Rupiah Banda's call that Zambians should re-open debate on the possibility of the country importing genetically modified maize for consumption, Dr Fee stated Zambia had a sovereign right to decide on the matter.

Dr Fee was responding to a press query from The Post on whether the EU would be allowing farm produce from Zambia in an event that President Banda's proposal to start consuming GMO goes through, which is likely to contaminate the country's seed bank.

Following President Banda's suggestion, some experts and ordinary people alike have expressed fears that allowing the consumption of GMO food might lead to contamination of seed banks.

The fears are that any farm produce and food produced using GMO contaminated seeds could not be exported to the EU market, which is Zambia's largest export market.

However, Dr Fee said the European Commission had no intention to interfere in Zambia's decision-making process on the GMO.

"It is important to state from the outset that Zambia, like every other country, has the sovereign right to take its own decisions over GM products and it is not the European Commission's intention to interfere in this national debate," Dr Fee stated. "As regards entry into the European Union, the European Commission ensures that all use of GMO is treated with the necessary precautions in order to protect human health and the environment."

Dr Fee, therefore, stated that all GMOs were subjected to thorough environmental and health risk assessment by the European Commission's European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

"This precautionary principle stipulates that all GMOs meet systematic post-marketing monitoring, labelling and traceability requirements before the European Commission makes its decision regarding authorisation," stated Dr Fee.

Regulation (EC) number 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed stated that in order to protect human and animal health, food and feed consisting of, containing or produced from genetically modified organisms (referred to as genetically modified food and feed) should undergo a safety assessment through a community procedure before being placed on the market within the EU.

President Banda recently urged Zambians to re-open debate on whether they should start consuming GMO foods or not.

This was after reports revealed that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had sent back trucks that brought in GM maize, which was supposed to be bought by the FRA, contrary to the contract it signed with the supplier to bring in non-GM maize.

The supplier of GM maize is alleged to be linked to President Banda's son, James.

Labels: DEREK FEE, GMO

posted by MrK @ 8:34 AM