Another Form of Neo-colonialism

Genetically modified seeds in Africa

by Joseph Kyalangilwa, President of the Civil Society of Southern Kivu Province and Chairman of the International Great Lakes Forum

Do we really need genetically modified plants for our food autarky in Africa? We believe not.

Analysing the motives of the architects of genetically modified products and their advertising campaigns, which they loudly proclaim from the platforms of international organizations, we get to know that with the help of genetically modified (GM) seeds harvest yield will increase, even if a smaller area of land is cultivated, and a crop can be harvested several times a year.

With regard to our situation in Africa, we still have enormous areas of land which can be cultivated, on which we can produce sufficient food supplies even without the use of fertilizers. The problem of the shortage of food in Africa can never be solved by the obligation to grow genetically modified plants or by western countries donating surplus food to Africa.

Consequences of GM seeds in the developing countries

GM seeds are produced in western countries. Even if the yield per hectare is considerably high, a selection of new seeds cannot be taken from GM seeds. Thus, the farmers become unavoidably dependent on new GM seeds, which are only offered by western companies. This results in total dependence on western suppliers and their prices, which –as is also the case with medicines – will make the poorest even poorer and the richest even richer.

If GM seeds are sold to the developing countries and GM food is distributed as donations, then we remain extremely sceptical in Africa – even if the suppliers insist on their harmlessness for the health of the consumers.

Moreover, the transport costs for these seeds and for the western food donations represent more than 50% of the total costs. This is a further way of providing profits to the European transport companies, which have been especially established for this purpose, and at the same time it guarantees numerous jobs in these countries.

For us only that food which is produced naturally and which corresponds with our eating habits is healthy. These foodstuffs can certainly be improved, varied and made more balanced.

How can Africa achieve food autarky?

First of all western leaders must stop causing futile and senseless wars in the developing countries. The so-called developing countries have the good and bad luck to possess immense natural resources, which the industries of the western powers urgently need. Among others, these are oil, diamonds, gold, copper, uranium, cobalt, iron, tin, coltan, agricultural products and timber, etc. Aggression, occupation and the illegal exploitation of raw materials can, for example, be witnessed in Iraq, in South Sudan, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sierra Leone, in Liberia, along the Ivory Coast, in Angola and in Nigeria. This is often instigated by the remaining tiny neighbouring countries afflicted by poverty, instrumentalised by the great powers that scandalously ignore the regulations of the UN Charter and international laws.

Although they claim that they are above international laws, which they have however ratified, these great powers are often quoted in various UN reports: the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Germany, France etc., who are the true clients of the mischief which befalls the developing countries. These are countries in which the life of the autochthon population is not worth a penny. It is the great powers who are the real beneficiaries of those natural resources which are illegally exploited under deceitful pretext by their helpers in other sovereign countries – a procedure which has always been condemned by the UN, but so far unfortunately without success.

It should be noted here that the wars, which are forced upon the people in so many places, are part of destabilization plans which have been developed in the greatest detail in the laboratories of the great powers. Nothing happens coincidentally! We, however, need the peace in order to be able to develop harmoniously. If we could live in peace – and we have the right to do so – this would considerably reduce emigration from Africa. The so-called civilized countries complain about the influx of refugees from the poorer countries, but in reality it is the warmongers who are responsible for this situation in Africa. Not only do they acquire our natural resources at ridiculously low prices, and make use of them as raw materials for their industries, but the murderous and useless wars they provoke at the same time provide dependable markets for the sales of weapons and ammunition manufactured by the industries of these western countries. The big losers are once more the peoples of the poor countries!

As already mentioned, our countries possess sufficient land for cultivation to ensure the natural production of food. In certain African states, however, the cultivatable soil is unsatisfactorily used: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, boasts 2,345,400 square kilometres, of which only 3% is used for agriculture. A further 7% of the total area could be used. Only 3.3% of the surface is covered by water, whereas 60% of the country comprises forests.

In other countries however, particularly in the former British colonies, 80% of the agricultural land is in the hands of a handful of foreign settlers, who constitute only one or two percent of these countries' populations. On these extensive properties, the settlers cultivate export products such as coffee, tea, sugarcane and tobacco, which prevent cultivation of the urgently needed basic foodstuffs for the local population.

The heads of state or heads of government of these countries, as soon as they try to reclaim land that was confiscated by the colonial regimes, are accused of being racists, poor administrators and dictators. Former colonial powers are convinced that such heads of government should disappear from the political stage. At international meetings they are made victims of slander and scorn in order to make way for an opponent, i.e. a puppet, as soon as possible. This happened to President Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, for instance, but it applies to South Africa, Kenya etc. as well.

Africa, like all other developing areas in the world, needs backing and technical support for its agricultural development programs. These programs should become a national priority for all African governments as they concern "independence of the stomach". In order to achieve this, technical support needs to be concentrated on the training of the trainers so that at the end of the support period, when the advisors leave the country again, the programs can continue and be developed. These programs must place the emphasis on cultivation methods, with special consideration given to the use of locally developed seeds which are produced by the national agricultural research centres. Agricultural engineers and technicians will have to ensure that the selected seeds are available over a lengthy period in order to prevent farmers from using seeds of inferior quality.

In 1985, we carried out a feasibility study on rice production with regard to a "minimum agricultural plan" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This large-scale study proved that if one distributed improved mountain rice seeds to the farmers of the province Kivu in Yangambi (the Agricultural Research Centre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo originates from the colonial period, and completely degenerated seeds are still used which were distributed for the last time in 1954), the harvest of paddy rice per hectare increased from 300 kilograms to 3000 kilograms, which is a 1000% increase over the same seed surface. This same can be achieved with other rice types, corn and other vitally necessary crops.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo would need 40% of its rice production in order to feed its population; the surplus of 60% could be exported to bring foreign currency to the country. This program, which aimed at financing itself with the help of a compensation fund, could unfortunately not be fully implemented. The dictator Mobutu, who gained a dubious reputation for himself, preferred to enrich himself and his "political family clan" excessively with the help of public funds originating from the incomes of mining production. This devastating kind of management can be found in all countries controlled by dictators who are only able to retain power with the use of arms and by the inadmissible support of certain western governments.

Concluding remarks

To conclude, we would like to again stress that Africa has no need whatsoever for GM plants and that the food donations which it receives from the developed countries and which are distributed by international humanitarian organizations can never be a solution for the present inadequate food situation. What Africa needs is to regain a large part of its agricultural land, which was seized by foreign settlers, in order to be able to produce large quantities for export. The African peoples must dedicate themselves to their vital agricultural cultures. Only in this way can they guarantee their own freedom and independence from degrading foreign paternalism.

Agricultural development would create numerous jobs for the native population, and, at the same time, machines could gradually be introduced to work these crucial man-made landscapes. The states of Africa will have to establish a round table in order to specify both the existing possibilities and those which must be created under the guidance of the Organization of African States (OAS), so that the nutritional requirements of their populations can be met by natural and balanced foods. It is unacceptable that countries such as Angola and the South Sudan are supplied with GM corn by western countries, while a surplus of naturally grown corn is produced in Benin and Togo, but they do not have customers to buy it.

As a polytechnic scientist, I support all scientific progress which improves man's natural living conditions. What I will, however, never accept is the use of scientific discoveries for commercial manipulation and the inevitable degradation of human beings, and profit-making by exploiting people due to their ignorance and the resultant violation of their dignity.