Posted on 4-6-2002

Starving Zimbabwe Shuns GM Maize
by Andrew Meldrum in Harare, Saturday June 1, 2002, The Guardian

Gripped by severe food shortages, with a potentially vast famine looming,
the Zimbabwean authorities have rejected a US government donation of 10,000
tonnes of maize, worth $6m, because it has not been certified as
free from genetic modification.

But the decision was not yet another example of President Robert Mugabe
protesting at western imperialism. It was taken to protect Zimbabwe's own
crop and its ability to export certified hybrid maize seed throughout
Africa. Despite widespread hunger, Zimbabwe refused the shipment of maize
because it came in the form of whole kernels, which, if used as seed, could
spread GM strains across the country. As there are also food shortages in
nearby countries, the delivery was diverted to Zambia, Mozambique and
Malawi. "Zimbabwe did not waive its requirement that entering commodities
must be certified as entirely non-GM" or not of genetically modified
origin, the embassy said.

Agricultural experts here said the rejection of the maize should not be
viewed as a petulant act by the Mugabe government. The country's farmers
feel that GM kernels could threaten Zimbabwe's production of hybrid
maize. If Zimbabwe's maize were altered by GM crops planted nearby, it
could lose its certification. A non-GM product, noted for its suitability
for a hot growing season, it would then be barred from export. Shipments of
US maize in the form of fine-ground meal cannot be used as seed, and have
therefore been gladly accepted by Zimbabwe. The US-funded Famine Early
Warning System Network estimates nearly a quarter of Zimbabwe's 12.5m
people are facing hunger. That number is expected to grow in the coming
months to 7m, according to a study by the United Nations World Food
Programme.