The question “Are GMO Foods Safe?” has occupied internet search engines and social media spaces since President Ruto’s government approved the farming of genetically modified (GM) crops and importation of GM food for humans and GM feeds for animals.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are made by introducing changes in the genes of natural organisms to give the modified organism desirable traits such as high yields, disease resistance, and drought resistance. Naturally, all organisms undergo genetic modifications almost similar to the ones that are done in GMOs for better chances of survival in a changing environment. However, the natural genetic modifications are slow since they come way after deleterious environmental changes have significantly reduced the populations of organisms. For example, several people easily died due to famine before human bodies could adapt to store a lot of fats in seasons of plenty to be sources of energy for survival during starvation.

Therefore, humans have used their understanding of genetic processes to make genetic changes earlier than environmental pressures can induce them. The main concern is the risk of the GMOs disrupting systems in human bodies and the environment to cause diseases and reduce survival of other plants and animals. This is because genetic engineering mainly involves transferring genetic material across different organisms, thus making the crossing of natural boundaries between species possible.

GM foods and GM feeds are increasingly being proposed as the solution to the threat of food shortage as the population progressively increases, especially in Africa. Inadequate rainfall substantially reduces food production in Africa since farming in Africa is mainly rainfall dependent. For example, inadequate rainfall in Kenya in the past three seasons has caused adverse food shortages, leading to famine and starvation.

The high costs of food in the global market due to the war in Ukraine and high fuel prices have made it difficult for governments to leverage overseas importation of food to address the problem. The Kenyan government led by President William Ruto through a cabinet decision allowed the farming and importation of GM foods and feeds as a strategy to address the scarcity and high cost of foods. Kenya had banned the importation of GM food and the cultivation of GM crops in 2012. Several Kenyans have raised concerns over the safety of GMOs amid fears that they could increase the incidence rates of cancer. Cancer is already ravaging and impoverishing families.

In the US, more than 90% of the acreage is under genetically modified (GM) corn and soybean after increasing steadily between 2000 and 2014 after which it plateaued. Only South Africa allows major importation and cultivation of GMO foods in Africa. In Europe, most countries only allow the use of GMO animal feeds. Although the European Union does not explicitly ban GMO foods, it has strict laws to regulate and ensure traceability of GMO crops and foods. Mexico, which has been importing GM corn from USA is expected to ban GMO products in 2024.

The decision on whether to allow open cultivation of GMO crops and importation of GMO foods is a tough balancing act. Policymakers consider the alleged benefits of GMO crops including high yields and reduced use of agrochemicals and pesticides. They weigh the benefits against the harm that may be caused by GMO crops including health risks, reduced biodiversity, and dependence on a few multinational corporations for seeds and food. I will restrict my analysis to health risks for a substantive discussion.

Several studies including three systematic reviews have given GM foods a clean bill of health based on animal studies and some human studies. However, most of the studies have been criticized for not having targeted outcomes. Actions by some authorities even in the US where GM crops are extensively grown and GM food produced in large scale show that the foods could be presenting some health risks.

For instance, there is a possibility of allergic reactions such as Brazil Nut allergy upon consuming GM foods like soybean cultivar genetically modified to comprise a gene from the Brazil nut for better nutritional value. The possibility guided US authorities to deny approval to several GM crops meant for human consumption. Although GM foods in the market have passed allergenicity and immunotoxicity tests, that cannot be the basis for generalizing the safety of GM foods. The tests are conducted in animal models and in vitro, which raises questions about their accuracy to depict safety in humans.   

In 2021, researchers at the Center for Evidence-based Chinese Medicine among other top Chinese research institutions systematically reviewed evidence regarding the health effects of GM foods. Their search for evidence that spanned from 1983 to 2020 identified one study in humans and 203 studies in animals reporting adverse events after consumption of GM foods. They described 21 adverse events related to GM foods including soya, maize, and rice.  Serious adverse events that emerged from the synthesis of the evidence include death, cancer, severe stomach inflammation, intestinal adenoma lesions, organ disorders, reduced fertility, and decreased learning and reaction abilities. Since biotech foods undergo rigorous assessments for health risks, the main concern is long-term health implications that may not be apparent until the GM foods are consumed for long.

Existing evidence suggests that GM foods are safe in the short run. The tests conducted can only inform about safety in the short run. Notably, in vitro and animal studies generate low levels of evidence. Hence, we cannot indicate with certainty the safety of GM foods based on them. Considering that people who start consuming GM food are likely to consistently partake it for long, long-term safety is essential.

In the case of COVID-19 vaccines, short-term clinical trials could only inform us about efficacy of the vaccines. Real-world evidence was necessary to know the effectiveness of the vaccines in the long run. Similarly, we will only know about the long-term safety of GM foods after long-term human consumption of the biotech foods. Maybe South Africa and Kenya will generate the real-world data for analysis of the long-term safety of the GM foods. Meanwhile, the government should require the proper labelling of GM foods and feeds so that only people who choose to contribute to the data partake the GM foods.   

If you found this article informative, consider supporting similar works by donating through MPESA number +254715149694 or PayPal account [email protected].