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.
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| 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.
