/ 1 January 2002

US urges Zambia to accept GM grain

Two US congressmen appealed to Zambia on Friday to accept a US donation of corn that might include genetically modified (GM) grain in order to save the lives of its starving people.

”We are here to offer help in an emergency situation,” U.S. Republican Earl Hilliard said. ”The food is here and the food is much needed now in Zambia.”

An estimated 12,8 million people in six southern African countries face severe hunger this year, according to the World Food Programme.

Three of those countries, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia, have raised questions about whether to accept US donations of food, which may be genetically modified.

Though the United States has repeatedly defended the safety of the grain – modified to produce higher yields and protect against pests – critics have called a threat to human health and the environment.

Zambian officials said they would hold a meeting Monday with experts, local groups and the WFP to decide whether to accept tens of thousands of tons of donated US corn.

Hilliard, an Alabama Democrat, and Republican Eva Clayton, a Democrat from North Carolina, said the corn was safe and was eaten everyday by people in the United States.

The two congressmen were on a tour of the region to assess the relief requirements of the affected countries. The United States is by far the largest donor of food to help alleviate the crisis. – Sapa-AP