African Leaders, Neocolonialism, and GM Crops

       I believe the leaders of developing African states need to alter their views on genetically modified foods, especially in times of famine. The leaders need to move beyond the influence of neocolonialism and the stringent environmental policies of first world nations in order to become more self-sufficient. They need to understand that GM crops are consumed around the world and may be a less ideal option for feeding the population, but it will aid millions of starving citizens and a step in the direction of technological development.

 Neocolonialism exists all over the global south, and is very present in the developing nations of Africa. In the past, colonial states claimed that the reason they had entered colonies was to assist the native peoples in modernizing, but in reality the exploited the labor and natural resources of the colony. Today, colonies no longer exist, but the influence of former colonial states continues to persist. Dreisson discussion of how corporate social responsibility has mutated form it original purpose shows the negative effects of neocolonialism on African countries. He claims that the well fed first world activists fail to focus on the critical concerns of the sick and malnourished people of African countries during their discussions of economy, technology, and scientific health debates. Instead, these activists focus more on future issues that will affect their own countries. The nations impose their environmental ethics on developing nations thus impeding their progress. These sustainable policies force developing countries to meet their needs and improve their economic, technological, and agricultural sectors with a minimal amount of energy, technology, and science available. In times of famine, these developing countries cannot cope because they lack the means to produce enough extra crops for food to counter a famine. I believe that until developing nations adjust their policies to move away from the influence of western environmental ethics and improve their agricultural science; these nations leaders need to accept the availability and donations of GM crops to feed their populations.

The issue of GM crops has been controversial issue in the west and in the developing nations of Africa alike. European nations tend to hold a negative view against the possible negative health effects of GM crops. African leadership has adopted these views from rich countries that can afford to oppose GM crops because they have the funds to find alternatives. African leaders have denied their own farmers access to agricultural science through official disapproval and regulations placed on modern agricultural biotechnology. Paarlberg mentions political leaders lack of investment in science, especially agricultural science, has lead to Africa lagging in farm productivity for decades. Dangerous situations are created when famines occur, because governments are unable to feed their citizens because the farmers are not as productive and prosperous to counterbalance the lack of production. The insertion of GM crops would greatly aid these nations in feeding their populations, but they oppose these crops and refuse aid. In Zambia, leadership refused millions of tons of GM wheat to aid 3 million starving citizens. I believe that the leadership needs to reevaluate the value of their citizens’ lives, GM crops, and the value of investment in agricultural science because these nations must take some measure to feed their starving populations. Until developing African nations have improved their economy and technologies to a level where they can feed the population and afford the alternatives to GM crops, the leaders must turn to look to GM crops as a food source for their citizens. African leaders need to move away from the western environmental ethics and find a balance where they can develop their economy and agricultural sciences to sufficiently provide for their populations. GM crops are a viable option and are one the technologies that African countries could invest in to combat famine as well as continue to develop their autonomy and standard of living.