Kenya, GM Foods and Food Aid

Beth Mugo, Minister of Public Health: Photo courtesy of Nation Media Group

When Hon. Beth Mugo announced the ban on importation of genetically modified (GM) foods, Kenya joined a throng of South African countries which have done the same in the recent past. Notable among these is Zambia which rejected 35,000 tonnes of food aid in 2002 suspected to be genetically modified.  This was a bold move considering that 3 million Zambians were in dire need of food aid at the time. As expected, this sparked a heated debate on the pros and cons of GM food especially on its use as food aid. Caught in the middle of this debate were international NGOs which rely on donors for their stock of food aid and acceptance of this food aid by recipient governments in developing countries.

The United States is the largest donor of food aid. This is due to the direct tying of food aid to subsidized food grown locally in the US. It is requirement by US law that 75 % of US food aid is sourced, fortified, processed, and bagged in the US. Furthermore, it is also a requirement by law that 75 % of all food aid must be transported on US flagged vessels.  Considering that the US has adopted the growing of GM foods, it is expected that a good percentage of food aid would be GM unless recipient governments request otherwise. It is also expected that should more developing countries reject GM food aid, local farmers in the US, food processors and US shippers would lose substantial revenues accrued from trade surrounding food aid. Perhaps this is the underlying reason behind the well funded Pro-GM advocacy in developing countries and in the EU by the US.

The scientific uncertainty on the effects of GM foods does not make decision making for recipient countries any much easier. This was the main reason behind Zambia’s rejection of both milled and non-milled GM foods in 2002 as is Kenya’s temporary banning of importation of GM foods until their safety is ascertained. How long this would take is unknown.  FAO and WHO state that they are not aware of any verifiable scientific documentation on the adverse effects of GM foods on human health. 

Knowing that 2.2 million Kenyans are on relief food, what are the options available for Kenya? Kenya can decide to do away with GM foods altogether. This might come at a cost such as giving up development credit tied to GM food (Zambia had to forego a US $ 50 million that was tied to purchase of GM commodities). However, bilateral trade with African countries might be enhanced (Zambia imported non GM maize from neighboring countries after rejecting the food aid).  Secondly, Kenya can decide to import only milled GM foods. This would prevent cross breeding between GM foods and Kenyan crop varieties. However, the quantity of food aid might be substantially reduced and the possible risks of GM foods accommodated. Thirdly, Kenya can request food aid in form of cash transfers. This would give the country liberty to source food aid locally or a source of its choice. Lastly, Kenya can choose to implement the current Kenya Food Security and Nutrition Policy to its last letter. If it does so, it would be a long while before we hear debates on GM foods or food aid.

Scaling Up Nutrition

Photo courtesy: ACF Kenya

                                  

In January 2008, the medical journal, The Lancet concluded a five-part series on Maternal and Child Under-nutrition in startling words uncharacteristic of scientific journals-“the international nutrition system is broken… (and) leadership is absent.” 

The Lancet provided evidence showing the first 1000 days of a child i.e. between 9 months of mother’s pregnancy and 2^nd birthday of the child, are the most crucial in tackling under-nutrition. This “window of opportunity” was whereby any intervention would have the highest returns. Outside of this time period, irreversible damage such as poor cognitive development, stunting and potential economic losses due to lower productivity in later years, cannot be easily corrected.

Against the backdrop of this evidence and the poor progress of developing countries towards achieving MDG 1, urgent measures were taken to increase the pace and manner in which nutrition interventions were being implemented. Collaborative efforts between various entities in 2009 led to the development of a framework that would seek to improve maternal and child nutrition, especially in high burden countries. This framework was aptly named Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN). It was created for public good and soon evolved into a movement. 

The SUN framework employed a two pronged strategy in addressing under-nutrition, multi-sectoral approach and direct nutrition interventions. The former aimed to achieve this in three main ways: accelerating action on determinants of undernutrition such as low household income,integrating nutrition in other sectors such as education and increasing public coherence on the unintended negative consequences on nutrition policies by policies in other sectors such as food pricing, petroleum pricing or subsidizing of farm inputs. The use of direct nutrition interventions employed 13 interventions that were proven to have a high impact hence dubbed High Impact Nutrition Interventions (HINI). 

Kenya, along with over 100 other countries, has endorsed the SUN movement. Pilot studies were done in Isiolo, Samburu and Marsabit in order to gleam lessons and best practices before nationwide implementation.In consideration of the national launch on 5^th and 6^thNovember this year, a reminder of a few factors that are pivotal to the success of SUN is important.

Firstly, that nutrition cuts across diverse disciplines. Minor changes in one sector can have ripple effects on nutrition that can be beneficial or otherwise. Thus, policy makers ought to find a common ground on which guidelines are set. A case in mind is how the urban poor are most vulnerable to shocks in food prices. The outcome of a chronic exposure to such an economic environment is under-nutrition, especially in children below five years.

Secondly, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are essential to SUN. Interventions such as provision of micro-nutrients through food fortificationcan only be carried out by involving the private sector. Efforts made towards this end such as the fortification of staple foods are highly commended.Nonetheless, more deliberate efforts towards partnerships would ensure that SUN in Kenya is a success.

Thirdly, it is crucial for all involved in nutrition, either directly or indirectly, to own this movement. We should speak in one voice without hidden agendas. SUN was created for public good. Hence, it is only natural that its core implementers should have the public good in view. It would be pathetically immoral if we use SUN as a parachute for our own selfish motives. 

Lastly, Political commitment is the fabric that holds SUN together. In its absence, all efforts aimed at reducing levels of under-nutrition in the country would be greatly frustrated. It is on this accord that the political class should put their best foot forward and be seen as ambassadors of SUN. History would judge harshly those who choose not to do so when it was in their power to do otherwise.

In conclusion, we should all take our part and act now. The stakes are high and so are the returns. Perhaps, in 2013, Kenya would obtain a favourable mention in the next series of The Lancet.

I too will graduate

I can finally say that I am now writing this piece from my own space. I am engulfed among learned friends and once in a while we engage in animated debates that usually end in an impasse. Nonetheless, we all go about our business thereafter with that fleeting feeling of intellectualism. The wise prudently shake this feeling off. The rest hang on to it a little bit longer to their detriment. I try to be among the former but most times, I fail terribly. Anyway, that is not the chief import of my writing today.

I have been carrying out attachment assignments at the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare, otherwise commonly referred to as AMPATH. We serve clients who are living with HIV or are caretakers of orphans and/or vulnerable children living with HIV. My core business is ensuring that clients who are supported by the World Food Program through food assistance are also enrolled in Groups Integrated Savings for Empowerment (GISE). The aim of GISE is to ensure a smooth exit for clients once they are weaned off the food program. GISE’s operation is borrowed heavily from the success of Mohamed Yunus in India who used a simple savings, loans and social fund system to empower women. In my going about this noble employment, my respect for women has gone up a notch higher. I believe women are a more resilient lot than men. I also believe women are a more social creature than men. A recent appraisal of GISE performance conducted last year revealed that women constituted 80 % of membership in GISE. This essentially means that the level of women accepting their HIV status is way much higher than among men. It also means that women realize the vulnerabilities they are exposed to. Hence, they seek to have the necessary safety nets in place to protect them from such vulnerabilities. It goes without saying that by improving their income security, their food security is improved as well. 

I am privileged to hear stories of resilience right from the horse’s mouth. I am further privileged to have the women behind such inspiring stories as friends. They remind me what love is all about; looking without and finding the reason to go on in the loving eyes of another. There are two groups under my immediate care, one which I am delegated to from time to time. It is my honorable duty to see them through till graduation where they share out the proceedings from their operations. When that time comes, I too will graduate; from an observer in the sidelines to that player, passionate about completing his God-given tasks. I too will graduate.

White gold and the women who mine it

It is no secret that food security in Kenya is intimately linked with the maize crop. Introduced to Kenya by the Portuguese, maize has grown to be the most popular enterprise among farming households. Among these households, there are those who grow maize primarily for subsistence use and only engage in commercial activities during times of surplus. Then there are those who grow maize for commercial purposes. This latter group can further be divided into small scale and large scale farming households, the dividing line being the acreage of land cultivated. However, the uniting factor among these players in the maize sector is pricing. All farmers wait with baited breath for the government to set the price at which National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) should purchase maize from the farmers. Then the long lines in Uasin Gishu and Trans Zoia counties form. The drivers spend several nights and days in queues waiting to offload their white gold. Women make a fortune cooking and selling food to men- who in all likelihood have not had a change of clothes for two, three or even fourteen days. Then there are those scrupulous business men who offer to buy maize from Lorry drivers in cash. In turn, the drivers sell the maize to NCPB in the name of the concerned businessman. The allure of cash in hand is wrought by the fact that NCPB does not pay in cash. Usually farmers have to wait for a month or two to receive their hard-earned money. Meanwhile, their children are waiting to report to school and as the routine goes, they cannot report without school fees, in most cases, the whole sum. This just adds fuel to the farmer’s need for immediate cash. Oh, I almost forgot one other player in the maize sub sector during sale-the prostitute. She travels from afar and rents a room in town (read Eldoret, Moi’s Bridge and Kitale). In the evening she ensures that the “hard working” farmer is all smiles. In turn, she gets the chance to relieve him of his pocket’s contents. This goes on while a hungry child and a loving wife wait for the triumphant return of a supposedly caring father and a supposedly loving husband.

In spite of this doleful picture, there is a glimmer of hope. There are certain farmers who are true patriots. They are aware that the country depends on them for food sufficiency. They have also taken steps to improve their lot by seeking to adopt the latest technology in food production and in most cases, on their own account with minimal or no assistance from the government. And yes, they love their families too. So much that they have taught them the tools of the trade. The wife and the children all contribute to the household income and that farmer ensures that they are adequately rewarded. Forgive me if I come across as a male chauvinist, maize farming is a male dominated sector. Women still have little or no access to land. In the few cases where they do have access, the land is so fragmented that engaging in any meaningful agricultural business is next to impossible. It is with this background that the few women maize farmers are by all definitions, swimming upstream. They are discriminated against in accessing inputs such as seeds and subsidized fertilizers. Now do not get me wrong. This discrimination is not systemic. The government process in accessing such inputs is gender sensitive. However, it is the mind set of implementing authorities that needs an overhaul. It is about time that women are seen as able agribusiness persons that they are. It is about time that they are recognized and their opinions sought in agricultural policy making. I strongly believe that one overlooked factor in efforts by government to become food secure is Gender and Agricultural Development. It is a public secret that women constitute 80% of the workforce that contributes towards agricultural production. Yet, they access less than 20% of the proceeds from agriculture. I believe I am wrong. Please correct me if I am-they access much less than 20%, don’t they?  Could it be less than 10 %? This sad phenomenon is not limited to maize alone, is it? Recall the bonuses that tea farmers received during the hard times for the Kenyan shilling against the American dollar?  Recall the women of Limuru and other tea growing areas lamenting about the disappearing acts of their husbands after receiving those hefty perks?  Pathetic is what I can say. Absolutely pathetic! I am too angry to continue writing this article so let me end on this point-give the woman farmer a chance in the corridors of power, in the farm, in the market and the war against food insecurity would be halfway won.

Extremes

   

Suppose Charles Dickens was alive today? Suppose he was given the task of describing our times? I am in no doubt that he would use the very same words he used in opening that riveting drama that is A Tale of Two Cities.

 “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

    And indeed it is. We live in a world of extremes. So extreme that the BBC made a documentary series on it-one of the best, I believe that BBC has worked on in recent times. It is on the problem of hunger that these extremes play out. The recent famine that plagued the horn of Africa, its effects still felt, comes to mind. Most of us watched it’s unfolding from the comfort of our living rooms, I suppose with a plate full of food in front of us. I am guilty here. I cannot forget a frail old woman who had to be supported as she made her way to receive relief food being supplied nearby. At some point she stumbled and fell. At that very point, my heart sank and my appetite for food vanished. All I could do was keep staring at the TV. It was a blank stare.

    Do you remember Bob Collymore's speech during the Kenyan for Kenyans Initiative? There were some reports that deaths had occurred in Turkana, hunger-related deaths. The government was quick to sweep these reports under the carpet.  Forget Alfred Mutua’s, blatant denial of it. However, for heaven’s sake, do not forget what Bob told us he saw while in Turkana. He saw death, the death of dignity. That is precisely what hunger robs you off-dignity. It is the reason why a father cannot look into the eyes of his daughter. The shame wrought by the unfortunate fact that he cannot put food on the table is too big to bear. It is the reason why that street child walks with his head hung low, his gaze fixed on the dirt below lest he is tempted by the revellers in that outdoor restaurant. It is the reason why a mother absent mindedly thrusts her nipple into her child’s mouth knowing very well that she so little to give. This is reality to most. Yet there are those who cannot relate to this picture no matter how hard they try. Their lives have been one of plenty. Their every desire, especially for food, is met with the greatest of ease. They cannot imagine that a soul can sleep hungry. The world of extremes it is. It’s population seven billion. Two billion malnourished; one under nourished, the other over nourished; One struggling with gaining weight, the other struggling with losing it; One throwing food in the dumpster, the other receiving it; One imposing taxes on high trans-fat foods, the other craving for it; one proposing giving extra grades for school children with normal BMI, the other struggling to keep children in school; one world having overweight air passengers pay extra, the other gazing at flying planes overhead with open mouths and empty stomachs.  Ah! A pathetic extreme world it is.

     The year 2011 has come to be known as the year of revolution. It is right to say that democracy was a driving force. However, the real reason is the animosity caused by the chasm between haves and the haves-not. When a man is pushed to the wall, he is capable of anything. And neither a high perimeter wall fence nor a state of the art security system can save you from his wrath. If hunger is thrown into the fatal mix, then this man becomes a most lethal weapon. It is our duty to ensure that men of pure souls are not driven to such extremities.  We do that by raising our voices against that age-old monster called hunger and even when it seems that it is winning, we do not yield. Instead, we raise our voices higher, on TV, on radio, in print, on the web, in our neighbourhoods, in our barazas, in our homes, and most importantly, on our knees. Then and only then, can this merciless monster be slain.