Commentary on Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods
September 2, 2009
GBC News | Sep 1, 2009 http://gbcghana.com/news/27886detail.html
By Edem Srem
Sad to say, Genetically Modified foods have been introduced to the African Market. It is now up to African consumers to
reject them. This will save lives and cost for the treatment of the side effects of consuming Genetically Modified
foods.*
*The history of controlling the food industry in the world by the then American Government in 1973 under President Nixon
started by introducing the "Food for Peace" programme which was led by Henry Kissinger, Nixon's Secretary of State and
National Security Adviser.*
According to the New African Magazine, Kissinger controlled absolutely the US foreign policy and summarized his
activities as "Control oil and you control nations, control food and you control the people". His idea of capturing the
worldwide food industry started with the introduction of what was termed as the gene revolution.
The revolution did not succeed until 1990. a member of the South African consumer movement, Andrew Taynton explains that
whereas natural breeding techniques select plants or animals with desirable traits and cross breed within a species to
create better crops or animals, genetically modified are developed in laboratories by splicing genes from unrelated
species into the host organism.
For instance, bacterial genes can be spliced into food crops and it will reproduce itself in each cell in the plants.
Also scientists are now transferring anti-freeze genes from fish to tomatoes to keep it longer in the cold. There is
also the splicing of pig genes into rice and daffodils to corn. All these have devastating effects, because of its
imprecise processes.
The main effects of consuming genetically modified foods includes; allergies, new toxins, new diseases, antibiotic
resistance and change in nutritional values. One other thing which needs to be mentioned is the "V Gurts" Varietal
Genetic Use Restriction Technology which is popularly called the "Suicide Seeds" or terminator technology.
One expert believes Africa is in great danger now as genetically modified seeds are made in forms of herbicides and
pesticides. These are normally exported to Africa and the Caribbean. The centre for Disease Control of the United States
says that at lease 80% of food related illnesses are cause by viruses or pathogens that scientist cannot even identify.
Prince Charles, the heir to the British Throne, was once reported to have stated that "growing genetically modified
crops in the developing world represents the biggest environmental disaster of all time".
With the realities of climate change, it is just an option to reject these kinds of foods on the market. More
revelations have been made by Dr. Arpad Pusztai, when he found out that rat fed on genetically modified potatoes had
smaller livers, hearts, testicles and brains.
It was also revealed that their immune systems have been damaged with a lot of structural changes in their white blood
cells, making them vulnerable to infections and other diseases as compared to rats which were fed on normal organic
foods. The same changes occur in humans who also take genetically modified foods.
Thus, the whole world could be exterminated if nothing is done to stop it. We have all become lab rats in mass human
experiment with huge risks. The risks will be too late to detect and save the world especially Africa because it will
take longer times to find the antidotes. By then the genetically modified companies would have made their money.
Apart from South Africa which has started growing genetically modified crops, the remaining African countries must
reject and fight against governments who want to adopt the technology. Ghana should also try to establish strict checks
on imported foods, seeds, herbicides and pesticides to control, if not to stop the spread of the genetically modified
crops in the country.
The solution is to accept nuclear foods which are done through induced mutations. World examples of induced mutations
include; Tek Bankye which has been developed by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in collaboration
with the IAEA. The Biotechnology and Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute has carried out researches that show that
the Tek bankye yields as high as 17.84 tons per acre.
Kenya has also developed a high yielding and drought resistant wheat. Hopefully all Africans, especially, Ghanaians
would reject genetically modified foods for a sustainable environment and good health.
ENDS