Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
On Nov. 21 Kenya decided to ban all imports of GMO foods into the country. Kenya’s Minister of Public Health, Beth Mugo, recommended a complete ban to the Kenyan Cabinet, which has been supported by the Kenyan Medical Research Group. Minister Mugo cited the recent peer-reviewed French study which found GMO foods to induce cancer and premature death in rats, which animals are the accepted standard to represent dangers to humans.
The Kenyan government has issued the ban for the lack of testing to ensure long-term safety of GMO foods. This is a smart decision on many fronts. The ban, however, is temporary. Not surprisingly, many self-interested pro-biotech groups, including some universities and research institutions, are working together to try to overturn the ruling.