GMW: GM research fix suspected in Kenya

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GMW: GM research fix suspected in Kenya

" GM WATCH " <info

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 13:17:16 +0100

 

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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As previously reported, Kenya has ordered a halt to all the Bt maize

field trials being run by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

(KARI) and Syngenta.

 

Among the facts that have emerged is that a KARI scientist sprayed the

Bt crop with a pesticide for the stem-borer - the pest that Syngenta's

crop is supposed to be able to resist.

 

According to a new article (below), " no technician could have sprayed

the GM seeds with a banned chemical without supervision. "

 

This is described in the article as " sabotage " . The article also

reports, the government's view that " scientists funded by rich Western

foundations are easy to compromise " .

 

What is known is that scientists at KARI, where the research was taking

place with the backing of the Syngenta Foundation amongst others, were

under pressure to make a success of this research, after the 3 years of

field trials KARI had previously run on Monsanto's GM sweetpotato had

shown the Monsanto crop to be a complete dud (Monsanto's showcase

project in Africa fails, New Scientist, Vol 181, 7 Feb 2004)

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=2561

 

A further failure with the next GM crop in the pipeline - Syngenta's Bt

maize - could have sounded the death knell for the showcase GM projects

the industry has been running in Kenya.

 

Spraying would obviously have the effect of biasing the results in

favour of the GM crop.

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Kenya suspends research on GM maize

Angola Press, 31 August 2005

http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=370408

 

Nairobi, Kenya, 08/31 - Kenya has suspended field trials on genetically

modified maize after a major anomaly was discovered in the process in a

move aimed at stopping further abuse of procedures until proper

legislation is put in place, sources said here Tuesday.

 

Kenyan officials feared the advances in the field trials of the

genetically modified maize could harm the lives of thousands of its

consumers

should it be allowed to move further into commercial production despite

huge financial investments in the research.

 

The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS), the national

watchdog agency tasked with enforcing standards and ensuring quality

research, has rejected plans to have the field trials continue, citing

lack

of integrity by scientists to safeguard public safety.

 

According to the KEPHIS directors, the country is ill prepared for GM

research as no legal framework is in place to give rules on the conduct

of research involving human life, as scientists funded by rich Western

foundations are easy to compromise.

 

Kenyan Agriculture Secretary Wilson Songa was quoted by the local Daily

Nation as saying scientists have succumbed to pressure from

international groups to rubber-stamp research on GM, even if the right

procedures

were not followed.

 

Scientists said the field trials, which were halted after a major

breach of research procedures was discovered, smacked of acts of

sabotage as

no technician could have sprayed the GM seeds with a banned chemical

without supervision.

 

The maize research focusing on enhancing resistance to the stalk borer,

a disease that deprives farmers of thousands of tonnes of maize yields,

was on its final phase before commercial production.

 

The spraying of a chemical called Furadan compromised its success, they

said.

 

Furadan is sprayed on maize seeds to reduce the influence of the stalk

borer.

 

Scientists could not determine the effectiveness of the maize seedlings

or samples after they were sprayed with the chemicals because it was

difficult to determine whether the end product would be naturally

resistant to the stalk borer.

 

" We do not have baseline data on the impact of the maize on non-target

plants and insects. This was a major omission, as supervisors in the

field have nothing to rely on. They shouldn't have gone on the ground

without some baseline study on the environment, " Songa said.

 

Kenya has not passed a biosafety law but a draft bill has been

gathering dust at the attorney general's offices waiting for a cabinet

approval

and the onward transmission to parliament for debate and possible

approval.

 

Ochieng Ogodo, an environmental journalist in Nairobi, said the bill is

expected to give guidelines on which procedures to be applied in

conducting research on GM, a thorny issue across Africa.

 

African countries have expressed their disgust with Western

institutions seeking to get an across the board approval for GM foods

as a panacea

to Africa`s hunger crisis -- an issue which has left many on the

continent unconvinced.

 

 

 

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