Ge Food is Dumped as Food Aid 245
Mother Seeds of Resistance
In Chiapas, Mexico, farmers are concerned that pollen from GE crops may
affect their maize crops. With the help of international supporters, they found
a way to test their crops to know if they are affected in any way. The project is
called “Mother Seeds of Resistance.”
Seeds are tested with testing kits bought from companies in Europe or
the United States. By finding out if their crops have been contaminated by
GE maize, they can tell their communities and their government about the
problem, and work to prevent it from spreading further. Because they are
testing the seeds themselves, farmers gain control over the process — a kind of
control that is lost by not knowing what is in the crops they are growing.
By taking back control of their crops, farmers in Chiapas are protecting
their food security while practicing long-term food sovereignty.
Ge Food is Dumped as Food Aid
Many countries do not allow GE foods to be grown or brought
into the country. But even in these countries, GE foods may
find their way into the food supply. In poor countries, one way
GE foods get into the markets and fields is through food aid.
When countries face severe hunger, they often receive aid in the form of
grain from the United Nations or from individual countries. Countries where
GE grain is produced often give it as food aid. This forces farmers, hungry
people, and their governments to choose between GE foods and starvation.
But sometimes, even in the face of disaster, governments take a stand. For
example, Zambia and Zimbabwe were offered GE maize as food aid in the
winter of 2002, a time of severe famine. Zambia refused the GE food aid. After
their decision, foreign donors supplied Zambia with cash to buy food from other
countries in Africa that had produced extra food. Some European countries,
where GE food is illegal, responded by offering food aid free of GE grains.
The government of Zimbabwe also felt the pressure of many hungry people.
Zimbabwe accepted the GE food aid, but only after making an agreement that
the maize be milled so it could not be planted later and cause future problems.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012