Bond actor Moore urges Zambia to accept GM food
Date: 12-Nov-02
Country: ZAMBIA
"The situation is very serious because children cannot learn on empty stomachs. The hunger situation in the southern province is very alarming. I think GMOs could ease the problem," Moore, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Children's Fund, said.
The British celebrity, famous for his film roles as spy James Bond, was speaking to reporters after a tour of Zambia, which last month rejected GM maize aid and said the decision was final.
The government decided on the ban after Zambian scientists conducted studies on GM foods and reported that insufficient evidence was available to demonstrate their safety.
"If the fear is that farmers should not grow GMOs, the government should just ensure that the maize is milled so that no seed is planted," Moore, wearing a khaki safari suit, said.
With his wife Kristina at his side, Moore said he would also lobby the international community to assist Zambia with food other than GM maize as the shortages in the country were "very serious and needed the world's attention".
Agriculture Minister Mundia Sikatana said he would ask the U.N.'s World Food Programme to remove 26,000 tonnes of GM maize relief it had imported into Zambia from the United States without the government's authority.
Sikatana said Zambia would not accept even milled GM maize relief. He said the country did not have suitable legislation to deal with GM foods and there was a risk of contamination of the local traditional crop varieties by GM strains, which could hurt Zambia's export markets.
Zambia is one of six southern African countries where some 14 million people are facing food shortages. It needs about 12,000 tonnes of food aid a month.
Zimbabwe and Malawi have also expressed concern about the environmental consequences of GM grains being planted and they will only consider importing milled grains that can not be used for sowing.
