Food crisis on SADC agenda

A common Southern African Development Community (SADC) policy on genetically modified (GM) food aid could be on the agenda at a heads of state summit in Luanda, Angola, this week. This follows comments by Prega Ramsamy, the chief executive officer and executive secretary of SADC, that divergent views on GM food was hampering relief efforts. The regional food shortage will affect, at its peak, about 14.4 million people in six countries. They will require food aid until the next harvest in March/April 2003. Ramsamy told Reuters in Angola that the absence of a clearly defined regional response to GM food relief was a serious problem. "The absence of a harmonised regional position on GMOs [genetically modified organisms] is creating operational problems with regard to movement of food and non-food items which may contain GMOs. This is particularly serious given the current humanitarian crisis," Ramsamy said. "The food crisis in Southern Africa remains a grave concern to all of us. What SADC has been urging member countries to do is to accept milled GMOs, but of course each government must make its own choice," he added. Of the six countries experiencing food shortages, Swaziland has no objection to GM food. Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have insisted on GM maize being milled before it is distributed. Zambia has barred the importation of all GM food until a team of its scientists touring overseas capitals completes a review on the safety of GM food. Malawi has insisted that GM maize be milled only during the planting season. Zimbabwe, with six million of its citizens in need of food aid, is the worst-affected country in the region. On Friday the World Food Programme (WFP), the Zimbabwe government and the state-run Grain Marketing Board (GMB), "operationalised" an agreement that would allow WFP to swop 17,500 mt of US-donated GM maize for the same amount of non-GM maize held by the GMB. The agreement would allow WFP to distribute the non-GM maize, while the GMB would mill the original aid consignment of GM grain, thereby making it acceptable for distribution. WFP spokesperson Richard Lee told IRIN the swop would allow WFP to boost its in-country stock for distribution ahead of the rainy season. The aid agency's current 24,000 mt stock of food in Zimbabwe was sufficient to deal with current distribution plans. "To have it [the 17,500 mt of grain from the swop] in-country will obviously make a difference when we begin scaling up the numbers [of beneficiaries]," he said. Between 20 February and 23 September, WFP reached over 825,000 beneficiaries with almost 44,200 mt of food aid, the agency said in its latest situation report. WFP distributions now cover 21 districts, and following current beneficiary registrations, will expand to 28 districts in October. WFP has also obtained import permits for 12,000 mt of yellow maize from South Africa for Zambia. "We started distributing the last 7,000 mt of non-GM maize in Zambia and were hoping for the import permit to be received, so we can now ship that 12,000 mt of yellow maize from South Africa to Zambia. We've been distributing 15,000 mt a month, so this 12,000 mt is enough for about 25 more days, it will keep us going until the government makes a final decision on the [GM food aid] issue," Lee said.