Awareness before practice is vital for Gm food issues

By Getnet Tesfamariam

The issue of universal food security is at the heart of many of the ethical issues related to GM technology.  According to a new United Nations report being launched in 2017 stated that the current world population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100.

               When we come to the horn of Africa, According to the Ethiopian statically Agency data the population of Ethiopia is estimated more than 129 million at 2130. This data shows there will be huge challenges for global food production in the coming years. if the amount of food production is not increased. Now a a days 1 of every 10 people around the world experience chronic hunger, which is more than 815 million people are currently chronically hungry. But an Advocates of GM crop argues that supplementary development of Bio technology is vital to meet this challenge.

Gm food crops are becoming choice of consumption for consumers

Biotechnology is offering peoples with broad options for how they can use agricultural and commercial forestry lands. The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops on thousands of hectares of lands and their addition into food chain is a huge global genetic experiment. Considering the fast rate of knots of new advances in the production of genetically modified crops, Marketers, farmers and policymakers and consumers worldwide are confronted to reach a consensus on a clear vision for the future of world food supply.

According to food science scholars the current food biotechnology debate illustrates the serious conflict between two groups. The first groups are Agri-biotech investors and their affiliated scientists who consider agricultural biotechnology as a solution to food shortage, the scarcity of environmental resources and weeds and pests infestations. And the second groups are independent scientists, researchers, farmers and consumers who notify that genetically modified food introduces new dangers to food security, the environment and human health.

The first group said that GM is vital for supply of food in the world to meet the demand of consumption and population increase. But the second groups ignores their ideas and believes GM foods are risks for humans, loss of biodiversity , and degrading natural appearance of living animals. They also argue that GM can cause for the emergence of super weeds and super pests, food allergies and other more scary side effects. 

           When we come to East Africa especially in Ethiopia, The knowledge about GM foods is in controversial way. Some peoples believe it’s like devil cultivation but scientists and agricultural employees believe it as a good choice of food. And I planned to make an interview for 7 peoples in Addis Ababa and Adama cities. The aim of the interview was to know the level of knowledge crop consumers and attitudes about GM foods.

         I selected the inter-regional cross transport bus stations, because it helps to get peoples who come from different directions of the country.   The first 4 interviewee at Addis Ababa city didn’t know about GM foods and even some of them related it with Canadian aid maize and other crops. These results suggest that the overall attitude of the cities consumers is not cautious of GM food. The other three respondents that were interviewed at Adama city where Shashemene, Assela and Mojo cities residents. All of them didn’t know about GM foods and the laugh when they interviewed, because of they don’t heard it before.

        
           Mr. Alemu who is living in Shashemene said that, I don’t know what is GM, but he guess it will be food that is useful for animals. This shows that the knowledge level of the society is at zero level about GM foods. Only researchers and some politicians are talking about it but I doughty the majority of the farmers in Ethiopia are far beyond the GM technology. In the absence of sufficient understanding of biotechnology, the public’s attitude towards GM food safety can be misleading. 

           The majority of the farmers and consumers knowledge about GM in Ethiopia is approximately  at zero level. Even they didn't have bio-technological cotton farming which is cultivated in Afar region.I was searching and informally interviewing peoples about their reflection on GM foods. In Ethiopia most of Consumer and farmers attitudes about GM food are complex and interwoven with the consumer’s knowledge of the science, lifestyle and public perception.

There has been a general lack of fundamental studies on the public’s scientific perception and policy interpretation of GM food in Ethiopia. The only institutions that promote GM in Ethiopian more strategically are Ethiopian Agricultural Research institute and Ethiopian biotechnology institute. But before intruding the practice of Gm food crops the transformation of knowledge about GM will comes first.  When the farmers and consumers are aware of GM foods they can practice it on their land and home. But practicing it first before making awareness is just like advancing the cart before the horse.

It is better to make awareness about GM before public tends to build upon its negative impression of GM food due to face of wrong information on social medias.  Written documents, advertisements, documentaries and educational courses about GM should be made widely available through various Medias. And mainly the GM issue should be well articulated and included in the new Ethiopian educational and training road map.