Last week, Kenya's Minister for Agriculture flagged off a convoy of vehicles carrying tons of seeds, potato vines and cassava cuttings to be distributed to farmers. The Minster, who publicly supports GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods, is among those convinced that Kenya cannot attain food sufficiency without adopting GMOs. It would appear therefore that the opposition to GMOs has lost the battle. If so, it means “the Kenyan government is determined to impose GMOs by force”.

Food security is much more complex than the production of enough food. For one, unless greed and corruption in the grain sector are tamed, it is possible to produce adequate food, only for cartels of corrupt middlemen to siphon it off to the highest bidder. During the current hunger crisis for example, it is common knowledge that a lot of Kenyan grain found its way to Southern Sudan, attracted by the higher profits.

But even if we were able to tame the greed and corruption, other reasons for which GMOs are detested persist. Foremost among these: the unmet micronutrient needs common with GMO foods. This is otherwise known as "hidden hunger." Because they are grown using many chemicals, and because their growth cycles are shortened, GMO foods tend to be poor in micronutrients like vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The high consumption of GMO foods is the reason food supplements in affected communities have become part and parcel of nutritional health. In other words, it is quite possible to grow enough GMO food, but the people will still suffer from hidden hunger. Such hunger is just as significant, if not more than that which comes from the inadequate intake of protein and calories.

My last blog entry, “The Specter of Cannibalism in SSA” details the effects of niacin deficiency on brain function.
The problem of hidden hunger has become a global problem. In the industrialized world, the problem manifests as obesity in some people. The important role of micronutrients in the diet is covered in my book, A HEALTHY YOU: Tame Africa’s Child Malnutrition. Foods poor in micronutrients tend to promote lack of satiety, even after a standard meal. Because of this effect, consumers develop a tendency to snack between meals in an effort to achieve satiety. Once this habit is established, it is difficult to break as the affected will complain of feeling very hungry.

Obesity has spawned many diseases and industries too (including obsessive exercise and the surgical removal of fat: liposuction). In Africa, the problem of hidden hunger is complicated by endemic protein-energy malnutrition. There is a tendency for those relatively well off to develop obesity relatively easily. It is therefore immoral for African leaders to ignore public caution against GMOs. Africa’s people should start holding their leaders accountable for the decisions they make: if they insist on forcing GMOs on the people, then they should also avail mitigation tools like food supplements and better access to health care, as occurs in the West.

Other disadvantages associated with GMO foods include a decline in crop diversity, high costs and post harvest wastage. Unless treated with chemicals, GM foods are easily attacked by pests. All these factors affect adversely the nutritional health of the affected. The prospect of having hungry communities in the presence of plenty is a paradox that needs to be understood and acted upon, especially in this era of malnutrition and AIDS. Long-term, these impact the socioeconomic well-being of the affected.

It is imperative that food planners become knowledgeable of the biological impact of modern technologies on communities. Failure to plan for and avail mitigation tools (e.g. food fortifications, treatment of deficiency diseases and or provision of food supplements) exposes affected communities to weakened immune systems and other underdevelopment conditions. Are we ready for these added burdens, considering that many communities already suffer from endemic malnutrition? Young people across Africa need to mobilize their communities in order to challenge any development agenda that does not have their best interests at heart.

References
1. Piwoz and Preble: HIV/AIDS AND NUTRITION-A Review of literature. SARA Project, 2000.
2. John Mbaria: Kenya: 'Government wants to impose GMOs.' The East African, 5th October, 2009.
3. Editorial: ‘Small scale farmers protest against GMOs’. The East African Standard, 5th September 2008.
4. Malnutrition: ‘The silent emergency’. Awake! 22nd February, 2003.
5. Walker A: ‘Low niacin concentration in the breast milk of Bantu on high maize diet.’ Nature 173, 405-406, 27th February, 1954.
6. World news Mbabane: ‘Obesity in times of Hunger.’ Sunday Nation, 7th January, 2007.
7. Labadarios D et al: ‘The National Food consumption survey.’ South Africa 1999.’ Public Health Nutr. 2005 Aug; 8(5):533-43.