When Irrational Fear Gives Way to Hunger

Kenya’s government has made a controversial move to allow the import of genetically modified (GM) maize from South Africa to fight hunger and starvation, even though GM crops cannot yet be legally grown in the country.

Or, put another way, this news prompts Charlie Petit at The Tracker to remark:

When people are starving, genetically modified food starts to look better…

Charlie did some digging and found a few recent stories from the Kenya press that debated the “controversial move” before it became official. The mind reels at this one from last month:

Forced to survive on wild fruits in the face of drought and food insecurity, hungry Kenyans could soon face the dilemma of eating genetically modified food.

As the Government readies to bring in genetically modified maize to bridge the growing food deficit, scientists warn the planned importation of genetically engineered alternatives could be unsafe.

Charlie, again at the Tracker, says it best:

This story reads like a visit to upside down world.