ACB concerned about SA's GM maize exports

This is the first time that South African GM maize grains have been commercially exported to our neighbour north of the Limpopo, and adds to a growing list of African countries that have received bulk shipments of live GM grains from South Africa, including Swaziland, Mozambique, Kenya and Somalia.

According to a spokesman for the FoodMattersZimbabwe group: "Zimbabweans are under the impression that maize would be imported from Zambia and will be deeply upset by this news to import GM maize from South Africa. The government of Zimbabwe is currently promoting the use of open pollinated varieties (OPVs) of seed to strengthen our farmers' self-reliance. The importation of GM maize poses a serious risk of contaminating our OPV varieties; at the very least this GM maize must be milled before entering the country."

However, a cloud hangs over the legality of the shipments and whether the South African GMO authorities have indeed received an explicit written approval from the Zimbabwean government for the importation of the GM maize. According to Andrew Mushita from CTDT, who has been liaising with the authorities in Zimbabwe: "The official position of the Zimbabwean government is that they are not importing any GM maize from South Africa. They have, however, opened importation of non-GMO maize from South Africa. To ensure that no GMO maize is imported, the government has taken measures and set up GMO-testing facilities at the border port of entry. Any consignment which will tests positive will be returned to South Africa."

Threatening biodiversity and food sovereignty

In an equally disturbing development, 150 000 tons of GM maize has been permitted for export to Mexico, the centre of origin of this vital crop. Around 2 million tons of GM maize has already been exported to Mexico from SA in the last two years. Mexico is the global repository of genetic diversity for maize, among the world's three most important staple foods. With South Africa's export of GM maize and Mexico's acceptance of it, both governments promote the contamination of peasant maize in its centre of origin, threatening biodiversity and food sovereignty in all countries.

Maize is central to the diet and culture of the Mexican people and peasant leaders have embarked upon hunger strikes in January this year to protest plans to cultivate GM maize in the country. Indeed, there is widepread opposition to GM maize in Mexico, with scientists, farmers, consumers, students, environmental organisations and others also protesting against GM maize. After his official visit to Mexico in 2011, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter, recommended the immediate reinstatement of the moratorium against GM maize established as far back as 1999.

In storage and unsold

What makes this GM export even more unacceptable is that at least 150 000 tons of non-GM maize produced by Mexican farmers has been in storage for three months and remains unsold, but companies prefer to import GM maize from South Africa, despite all the associated transport and environmental costs.

"Mexico doesn´t need to import maize for its own population, as the domestic production not only meets, but also exceeds human consumption needs. These imports are intended for animal feed in industrial production that is controlled by transnational companies. The maize traded from both ends serves only the need and greed of corporations", said Silvia Ribeiro from the ETC Group, in Mexico.

"This is yet more depressing evidence that the primary purpose of our food system is not to provide adequate, affordable and nutritious food for all South Africans, but to ensure the continuing profitability of some of the world's largest agribusiness corporations," concluded Mariam Mayet, director of the ACB.