GMO CROP SAFE – LECTURER – Scoop Newspaper

By Fulman Mukobeko

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) crops are safer than normal crops in terms of comparative, says University of Zambia (UNZA) Lecturer Dr Kalaluka Munyinda.

Speaking in an interview with The Scoop Dr Munyinda who is under the department of Plant Science at the highest learning institution said GMO crops were more closely evaluated than normal crops.

He said South Africans have generally accepted GMOs while Zambia and Zimbabwe were still living in denial but that the neighboring Zimbabwe, has started importing GMOs due to food shortages.

And Dr Manyinda has backed calls for Zambians to diversify from maize to drought resistant crops in view of climate change.

He said the Southern and Central part of the country were getting drier hence the need to grow crops like millet, sorghum and cassava in those areas.

“What we are seeing is that the climate appears to be changing. The Southern part and Central part are dry but the Northern part has not changed much. So, unless you irrigate, if you grow maize in the South, you are going to have problems. This means, we should grow our crops in certain areas. We concentrate our crops like maize in Northern areas, while we also concentrate other crops like millet and sorghum in the Southern part area.

He advised that when the country had a variety of crops, there should be a measure of blending so that people should have access to food regardless.

“I come from the West part of Zambia, Normally, when you eat a cassava meal, it is normally mixed. You mix cassava with maize meal to reduce pressure on maize. That is how it should be handled even in situations like this,” he said.

He, however, said GMOs have advantages and disadvantages.

“GMO is harmless and all what we are doing is just rearranging within the same plant. GMO is really not a problem. It is not every GMO that is not okay. If you consider GMOs case by case, there are advantages and disadvantages but we should concentrate on advantages,” he said.

Dr. Munyinda said disadvantages come from companies that monopolized technology, saying that was where the problem was.

“But if you are dealing with maize, you have certain bacteria that produce a toxin. When a caterpillar digests that maize, it dies. It is like the maize is spraying on its own.

He said the most important thing was to evaluate GMOs, saying the toxin should not be in the mealie-meal.

He added that GMOs were not an issue but that they should be considered case by case.