Food Security in East Africa has been affected by climate change and the food policy regulations influenced by over-funded Western foundations, a Ugandan lobbyist said.
John Kaganga, the director of the Kikandwa Environmental Association (KEA), which is a Ugandan agricultural lobby group, said in Nairobi that efforts to pass a new Ugandan biosafety law may hurt local farmers more.
"We do not know what will happen to us farmers once the Genetic Modification (GMO) Policy is passed. Uganda is formulating the GMO policy. It is being influenced in favor of the big Foundations," Kaganga said Thursday.
Scientists in Uganda have been seeking a cure for the cassava brown streak disease discovered in 2005.
The disease has affected cassava yields across Uganda. Crop breeders have been working to engineer the crop to resist the viral infections which leads the cassava tuber to rot underground.
In the meantime, the Ugandan lawmakers have been debating the proposed biosafety law. The lawmakers are seeking a middle ground between the risks of GMOs and its benefits to food security.
The law is seeking to define the safe handling of the GMOs while defining the terms of reference for the National Biosafety Committee.
Uganda, like Kenya, is currently trying to tighten controls governing the genetic engineering of the food crops.
They also attempt to define the process of releasing such crops to the environment as well as trade in such products.
State regulatory agencies fear uncontrolled release of such modified crops might harm human health and are keen to ensure the GMOs are not commercialized until such a time they are certified safe.
Scientists, policymakers and farmers are meeting in Nairobi on Aug. 20-22 to discuss how to harness forests, farmlands and rivers to improve on Africa's food productivity, warn climate change might leave another 200 million hungry people in Africa in 2013.
"The effect of climate change is affecting small-scale farmers, " said Grace Abolaji, a Nigerian agricultural expert.
"There is increased malaria affecting small-scale farmers. This is in turn leading to poor agricultural production amongst the women farmers."
John Kaganga, the director of the Kikandwa Environmental Association (KEA), which is a Ugandan agricultural lobby group, said in Nairobi that efforts to pass a new Ugandan biosafety law may hurt local farmers more.
"We do not know what will happen to us farmers once the Genetic Modification (GMO) Policy is passed. Uganda is formulating the GMO policy. It is being influenced in favor of the big Foundations," Kaganga said Thursday.
Scientists in Uganda have been seeking a cure for the cassava brown streak disease discovered in 2005.
The disease has affected cassava yields across Uganda. Crop breeders have been working to engineer the crop to resist the viral infections which leads the cassava tuber to rot underground.
In the meantime, the Ugandan lawmakers have been debating the proposed biosafety law. The lawmakers are seeking a middle ground between the risks of GMOs and its benefits to food security.
The law is seeking to define the safe handling of the GMOs while defining the terms of reference for the National Biosafety Committee.
Uganda, like Kenya, is currently trying to tighten controls governing the genetic engineering of the food crops.
They also attempt to define the process of releasing such crops to the environment as well as trade in such products.
State regulatory agencies fear uncontrolled release of such modified crops might harm human health and are keen to ensure the GMOs are not commercialized until such a time they are certified safe.
Scientists, policymakers and farmers are meeting in Nairobi on Aug. 20-22 to discuss how to harness forests, farmlands and rivers to improve on Africa's food productivity, warn climate change might leave another 200 million hungry people in Africa in 2013.
"The effect of climate change is affecting small-scale farmers, " said Grace Abolaji, a Nigerian agricultural expert.
"There is increased malaria affecting small-scale farmers. This is in turn leading to poor agricultural production amongst the women farmers."
