By IPS Correspondents
CAPE TOWN, Jun 30 2003 (IPS)

As more than 14 million people in Southern Africa face the threats of starvation, aid operations in the region continue to be hampered by the controversy about the uses and dangers of genetically modified foods.

Although the region has produced enough food to meet two-thirds of its needs, the World Food Programme (WFP) says, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe will need to import at least 2.65 million tonnes over the next 12 months.

Zimbabwe alone will account for about half of the regional deficit after barely producing enough to meet 40 percent of its needs, while food shortages in Mozambique are threatening almost one million people.

And, while the food situation has improved in Zambia and Malawi – among the worst hit last year – Swaziland and Lesotho also continue to face shortages.

In a briefing document released late last year, at the height of the food crises in the region, the British aid agency Oxfam, noted: "The controversy around genetically modified foods has emerged as the number one political problem affecting international food aid operations in Southern Africa. This has emerged on top of the problems of logistics and the targeting of food relief, among others, which are also affecting operations."

At the time, Zambia rejected genetically modified food aid for fears of possible long-term health dangers from the maize.

With the region still threatened by food shortages, South African President Thabo Mbeki has called for a constructive debate on genetically modified foods. "As South Africa works to meet the challenge of food security for its people, the potential benefits and risks of genetically-modified foods will increasingly need to be debated in society and researched by science.

"Compared to other countries on the continent, South Africa has a relatively advanced biotechnology capacity, and sound policy approach to the introduction of genetically modified organisms. It needs, therefore, to continue to invest resources into research and monitoring, and to ensure that all stakeholders in society are engaged in an informed and constructive debate on its potential benefits and risks," Mbeki wrote in his weekly newsletter on Jun. 27.

South Africa has approved commercial planting of three genetically modified crops: insect resistant cotton, herbicide resistant cotton and insect resistant maize.

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any plant or animal whose genetic material has been changed in a way that does not occur naturally. Plants can be modified to increase their resistance to insects, disease and other pests that are capable of destroying or seriously damaging crops.

A number of concerns have been raised about the potential negative effects of genetically modified organisms in the South African Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs. These include concerns that the diversity of traditional seeds that have been developed over centuries by local farmers are being replaced by genetically engineered and hybrid seeds.

There is also the phenomenon of ‘genetic drift’ or ‘biopollution’ – when conventional crops are pollinated by genetically modified crops.

The committee also fears that ‘super’ pests and weeds may develop, forcing farmers to spray crops with higher doses of herbicides and synthetic pesticides, as they adapt to genetically modified crops.

Questions also have been raised about the claims of the increased nutritional value of genetically modified crops, with some arguing that traditional crops could just as well be used to raise the levels of nutrients required in a diet. There is also the issue of the potential effects on human health and food safety, including the potential for toxicity and an increase in food allergies.

But GMO campaigners argue that the transfer of genes between crops is a natural process that occurs in nature – science is merely harnessing this to create useful tools and products to ensure a secure food supply for communities. They point out that the fear that new, aggressive weeds and pests could be created by genetically modified plants has not been confirmed.

Another major issue of debate is the concern that farmers will become dependent on expensive genetically modified seeds from multinational companies.

The debate about genetically modified foods will be on the agenda when U.S. President George W. Bush visits South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Botswana from Jul. 7 to Jul. 12.

The United States has been trying to get the European Union and other countries, including those in Africa, to accept exports of genetically modified products it has developed and grown. The European Union has steadfastly resisted opening its markets to genetically modified goods.

African countries which export crops to the European Union are worried that if they accept genetically modified foods from the United States – while they are unable to keep them out of the local food chain – their sales to their EU trading partners may be in danger.

In its briefing document, Oxfam advocates that donors should try to secure non-genetically modified maize for those African countries that do not want to accept GMOs.

Alternatively, genetically modified maize that is to be distributed in Africa should be milled before it is distributed. Although milling increases the costs and difficulties of distributing the maize, it removes the threat of genetically modified seeds entering the environment.

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