Why Kenya shouldn’t pass up the chance to reap GM crop benefits

Technologies are not developed because of their risk potential but due to the benefits, they offer — that must far outweigh any potential risks. There is no technology anywhere in the world that can boast zero risk.

All technologies or products that we consider safe pose some risk but we have accepted those risks and learnt to manage them.

For instance, most medications we take are known to have side effects, and yet we still use them.

Genetic engineering, whose products are commonly referred to as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is a more recent breeding technique applied in crop improvement.

A lot has been said about the safety or lack of it for genetic modification (GM) technology. However, it is essential that discussions on the potential risks of GM technology are done in the context of the benefits for which they proffer.

So, the question is, what benefits does the technology portend for the country?

The main crops using this technology globally are soybeans, maize, cotton, and canola.

In a recent study, scientists analysed the impact of using GM technology on farm incomes and production from 1996 – when GM crops were first commercialised – to 2020, in both developed and developing countries.

The study found that GM technology economically benefited farmers in developing countries more than developed countries.

It revealed that on average there was a farm income gain of $112 per hectare. The study further showed that in developing countries, the average return for each extra dollar invested in GM crop seed was $5.22 compared to $3.00 in developed countries.

Kenya commercialised GM cotton in 2019 and GM maize is awaiting government approval for commercialisation, while GM cassava has recently been granted approval for further performance testing at the national level.

There is anecdotal evidence that farmers who adopted GM cotton – developed to resist certain insect pests – are gaining from the technology.

Recent media reports from interviews with smallholder farmers in Lamu County indicate that the farmers more than doubled their harvest, and were only required to spray their crop three times instead of nine times in a season when they planted GM cotton seeds compared to the conventional varieties.

It is this kind of empirical and anecdotal evidence that our policymakers could consider when making decisions on the adoption of GM technology.

GM technology provides new approaches to increasing crop production while reducing the environmental burden of agriculture.

As a country, we need not miss the opportunity to adopt modern agricultural innovations available that can help address our agricultural challenges whilst improving the incomes of farmers.

If there is evidence that the benefits of GM technology far outweigh any potential risks, then it would be a worthwhile investment for the country.

The writer is a researcher and food safety expert. [email protected]