15 African Nations Protest U.S. Force-Feeding GMOs on Starving Communities

Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004
Subject: CI joins African NGOs in GM food aid protest

Press Release

Consumers International joins African NGOs in GM food aid protest

5 May 2004. Consumers International has joined 60 non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) from 15 African countries in an open letter to the
World Food Programme (WFP). The letter protests against the pressure exerted
by the WFP and USAID (the US government food aid programme) on Sudan and
Angola over their decisions to impose restrictions on GM food aid.

Sudan has requested that food aid be certified `GM free'. The Sudanese
government placed an interim waiver on the GM food restriction until July
2004. Despite the waiver, USAID cut off food aid and continued to exert
pressure on Sudan. As a result the Sudan government has extended the waiver
for a further six months, allowing the distribution of GM food until January
2005.

Angola will accept GM food aid only if GM grain is first milled. The WFP has
responded by saying that Angola will face a significant decrease in food aid
if it insists on these conditions.

The NGO letter says that WFP and USAID should immediately desist from
presenting the governments with `no choice' scenario and forcing them to
accept GM food aid. Instead the WFP should guarantee the right of countries
to reject or impose restrictions on GM food aid.

The letter says WFP must take note of the August 2003 recommendations of the
Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and Biosafety of the Southern African
Development Community, (SADC), of which Angola is a member, that its member
states mill all GM grain before accepting it as food aid. The WFP had
adequate warning from the governments of Angola and Sudan of their positions
on GM food aid. Rather than act on those decisions in an appropriate and
timely manner, the WFP instead chose to ignite controversy.

Amadou Kanoute, Director of Consumers International Regional Office for
Africa, says: `The WFP appears to have learnt little from the Southern
African food aid crisis in 2002, when several Southern African countries
imposed restrictions on GM food aid. These countries also faced overwhelming
pressure from USAID and the WFP. However, Zambia, which imposed an outright
ban on the acceptance of GM food aid, not only managed to cope with its
crisis, but is now able to export non-GM food to its neighbours.'

A new report from Earthlife Africa titled `GM Food Aid: Africa denied choice
once again' shows that non-GM alternatives exist at national, regional and
international levels, and donors should make these available to Sudan and
Angola. The WFP and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
officially recognise that Sudan has surplus food available in the country.
Non-GM alternatives need to be fully explored in Angola.

To view the letter addressed by African NGOs to the WFP, and the new report
see: <http://www.earthlife-ct.org.za>

Contact: Kaye Stearman Contact: Guy Patrick Massolka
Tel: +44 20 7226 6663 ext.219 Tel: +263 4 302 283
Mobile: 07985 023 005 E-mail: guypatrick@ci-roaf.co.zw
<mailto:guypatrick@ci-roaf.co.zw>
E-mail: kstearman@consint.org <mailto:kstearman@consint.org>
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