Stop the Kenyan Government decision to lift the ban on GMO Foods
Stop the Kenyan Government decision to lift the ban on GMO Foods
Why this petition matters
Kenyans are greatly disappointed by the cabinet’s decision to lift the ban on the cultivation and importation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into Kenya which was put in place 10 years ago.
The ban was put in place through a cabinet memo on 8th November, 2012, following growing concerns over the safety of genetically modified food. For the last 10 years, there has been no need to import or allow open cultivation of genetically modified organisms/food as the country has been able to make do without GMOs. Our farmers have continued to produce the bulk of Kenya’s maize supply and the deficit (an average of about 10-15 million bags per year) has been supplemented through trade with our neighboring countries- mainly Tanzania and Uganda that are GMO-Free.
This decision comes when more than 4.2 million Kenyans are facing severe hunger and high food prices due to the ongoing drought and effects of the Russia-Ukraine war among others. More than 50% of the population are exposed to a less visible struggle to access food mostly in urban areas due to the hard economic situation in the country. The use of the current hunger situation to justify the decision to allow GMOs into the country is also quite unsettling and a clear violation of the principles of the Human Right to Adequate Food.
Key concerns
1. Lack of public participation.
2. Negative socio-economic impacts of GMOs in Kenya and the region
3. Lack of capacity of NBA to regulate GMOs
4. Safety Concerns and Consumer preference
5. Public Deception and misinformation