In an open letter, former Director-General of the Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia and the spokesperson of the Like-Minded Group (Group of 77 & China) at the Montreal and Cartagena biosafety talks, Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, urges the government to respect the legal status of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
My name is Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher. I turned 80 on 19 February 2020.
I studied in Bangor, North Wales, United Kingdom, for my PhD in plant ecology. It is obvious that there is an overlap between plant ecology and animal ecology.
It is with this background that I served my country as the Director-General of the Environmental Protection Authority of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, based in Addis Ababa, my country’s capital. It was because of this background that I led the Ethiopian delegation, including in the negotiations on biosafety and genetic engineering.
The outcome of the global negotiations on biosafety included the full socio-economic and environmental impact assessment of genetically modified organisms. This assessment looks at possible new and unexpected outcomes of plants and animals that could be harmful to the environment. It includes the transfer of genes modified through genetic engineering to life forms and their possible consequences. This can be avoided if it is done in a contained environment and as and when the effects have been studied and are found to be safe for all forms of life, the genetically modified organism will be allowed for use as food, feed as well as for industrialization. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) resulting from modern biotechnology. This will prevent adverse effects on biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health. To date, 172 counties around the globe, including Ethiopia, have ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety also requires that the cultivation of genetically modified organisms does not pollute organic agricultural crops and animals, wildlife, and other farming practices that must avoid contamination by the modified gene in the area where they are growing. It also includes the appropriateness of labelling genetically modified organisms to inform those who wish to use non-genetically modified products so that they are assured of their choice. This is a fundamental social right, the right to choose what to grow, what to eat, what to wear, and how to interact with the environment. Once a modified gene gets into the environment and the living organisms therein it cannot be taken out, eliminating the right to choose.
I led the Ethiopian delegation in the negotiations in biosafety. When the negotiations started, the African Group of Negotiators chose me to become their chief negotiator. Following that, the Developing Countries Group of Negotiators asked me to be their lead negotiator. Finally, all the negotiators except those who called themselves the Miami Group also asked me to be their chief negotiator. The Miami Group consisted of the United States of America, Canada, and Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. The negotiations were finalized in Cartagena, which is a city in Columbia. Thus, the final agreed biosafety protocol is called the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
Now, I read and heard in the news that the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is allowing the cultivation of genetically modified crops in Ethiopia. I have several worries, including the feasibility of 130,000 hectares of research being a contained environment, and how these things have been legally handled with the biosafety protocol as it stands ratified and procedures defined by the Biosafety Framework of Ethiopia defined by the Law, Policy, and Standards of the Directorate General of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission, in February 2019. If these have not been implemented, the involved parties are breaking the law, stipulated in February 2019 and laws gazetted in Proclamation No 655/2009 that was amended in 896/2015. It would also mean that Ethiopia has de-facto withdrawn from the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. To the extent that I know, Ethiopia has thus far kept all its laws and replaced or amended them when necessary, and it has not legally withdrawn from the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. As a retired old man past 80 years of age, I have no direct contact with the Federal Government of Ethiopia. Therefore, I have no way of checking whether Ethiopia is simply ignoring the legal status of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety or not.
If the Federal Government is simply ignoring the legal status of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, then it would be obvious that it is breaking International Law.
If the Federal Government is simply ignoring the legal status of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, then it would be obvious that it is breaking international law. This should not be allowed to happen. Therefore, I want to encourage the younger generation of Ethiopians to protest in all the ways they can. This is because breaking an international law, which includes the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, without legally withdrawing from it, is breaking international law and degrading rule by law in Ethiopia, in the continent of Africa and in the world at large with the exception of the members of the Miami Group, which are only 5 countries as opposed to the rest of the globe.
I would also urge the young generations of Africa and the rest of the world to urge their respective governments to continue respecting international law, including biosafety, globally.
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Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher praises in his open letter all his great achievements as former Director-General of the Environmental Protection Authority of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. But what did he actually achieve for Ethiopia and Africa as a whole as the country’s leader of the Ethiopian delegation in the negotiations on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety? He mainly served those European donors, who were eager to spread wild conspiracy theories on GMOs. In this context, Europe has been frequently accused by African intellectual leaders such as the late Calestous Juma (https://www.nature.com/articles/500148a) and, more recently, Diran Makinde (http://atdforum.org/institutionalizing-poverty-in-africa-by-mep/) for having hijacked the main purpose of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. This main purpose was the safe transfer of skills, capacities and techniques associated with the use of agricultural biotechnology in plant breeding – not the prevention of it. Just read Article 17, 18 and 19 of the Conventional on Biological Diversity (CBD) which eventually lead to the call for a biosafety protocol.
During his tenure, Dr. Tewolde has in fact become a celebrity among anti-GMO activists in Europe. He especially liked to be invited to Switzerland to speak on behalf of Africa.
How does this European mindset manifest itself in his open letter? It is the typical mythical story of Ethiopia as the pristine and innocent country that is not yet ‘contaminated’ and ‘polluted’ by GMOs. This innocence would manifest itself in its fondness for organic agriculture (fondness once again actively sponsored by European donors in Ethiopia). In this mythical story, Dr. Tewolde imagines himself as the hero, who protects the supposed victims (Ethiopian farmers and consumers, as well as Ethiopian ecosystems) from this great threat. Does he have any evidence for his claims? No; indeed there is growing evidence that consumers, farmers and the evnironment actually benefit from the adoption of agricultural biotechnology, especially if tailor-made to local needs. Does he have any evidence of his claim that the decision of the Ethiopian government would represent a breach of international law? No (South Africa grows GM crops for decades and has also ratified the Cartagena Protocol).
GM crops are being cultivated for 25 years without any evidence of a risk that is not yet known from conventional agriculture. Thanks to all the public funding for risk research on GM crops, they are by now the best researched crops in the history of mankind. Moreover, GM crops already represent an old technology that becomes increasingly obsolete with the emergence of gene-editing techniques that do not require the transfer of genes anymore (moreover this technology is not in the hands of big business as frequently claimed but actually serves start-up companies to challenge the established players in agribusiness with products that are better and more affordable).
Dr. Tewolde’s arguments would have been perfectly valid in the 1990s when there was indeed not much known about the technology and its potential risks. Today it seems rather dishonest to argue the same way, as if the technology would not have evolved and as if we do not have any experience from other countries that adopted the technology (including millions of small-scale farmers in India). Dr. Tewolde also seems to be oblivious on the main principles of the precautionary principle, as the European Union defines it, on how the very same European Union offends these principles in its application of the Precautionary Principle to agricultural biotechnology > https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.01053/full
Finally, Tewolde seems to be completely indifferent to growing food security challenges, especially after COVID-19. Agricultural biotechnology is far from being a silver bullet, but can a country like Ethiopia afford to ban one of the important platform technologies of the 21st century in view of its current situation. A question that Dr. Tewolde is unwilling to address.
When you pont your finger to Dr. Tewelde, the others are pointing your direction. We Ethiopians say no to GMO and we do not want to be slaves of the American corporations that paid you to write this reply and try to portray a picture that Ethiopian will starve to death if they don’t use GMO. If the government allow it, forced or blinded by the “assistance ” it can receive from the corrupt corporations through governments and digressed NGOs, we will make sure to mobilise the youth and destroy every farm using GMO by spreading information about the real motive of the GMO advocates. We did it to the others that tried to deceive us and we will do it again. We will be targeting any business owner, scientist, government official and farmers involving in bringing GMO here and take measures that will teach a good lesson.
In addition, we will be working to better utilise our water and land resources and produce more but will not even think use of GMOs as an option. If you think GMO is the solution for problems, keep using it at your own backyard. Good luck with the cancer and all related impacts and keep practising the corporate sponsored slavery on the poor farmers. However, your dream of doing the same in Ethiopia will remain a wishful thinking. Keep your day dreaming!
I think we shouldn’t waste our time bothering about what others have to say against dr. Tewolde. Instead we need to focus our attention towards what Dr. Tewelde has told us to do,i.e opposing the current decision of the “government of Ethiopia” to growing GMO crops. This is the only choice we have even before things get too late.
A total death from malnutrition and associated disease is by far more than cancer. My brother you know the selection here in Ethiopia is not between organic and inorganic. It is between hunger and inorganic. And if you didn’t have starved yet, don’t go for conclusion on their behalf.
Well, well the danger is when politicians and government hacks come with unsubstantiated argument against a well founded scientific fact based scientific analysis and discourse.
If any one except may be paid politicians in developing world thinks that they will be able to feed their people once the biodiversity of their plant and animal gene pool, which had naturally resisted many pastes and pestilence by a new and dangerous gene they are I’ll informed and might result in unmitigated disaster.
I can see Zedig has very limited or tangential idea and it is obvious he missed the bulk of the argument. He has hinged his argument on only one issue , cancer which I doubt he has the qualification to dismiss by equating GMO to eliminating hunger which in itself is very unsubstantiated. He also missed the current knowledge that cancer has become a rampant problem in developing countries and that the economies of these countries will be sapped with expensive treatment of cancer patients in the near future.
I am sure he is not even qualified enough to disregard cancer as if it is a common cold but the worst part of it is that he doesn’t seem to understand that the delitarious effect of GMO is more serious and far reaching than only cancer.
The transference of gene may cause translocation, dislocation or modification of genes resulting in unexpected outcomes when widely spread. The deleterious effects could be a total loss of or harmful change in one or many species totally altering the biosystems and environment with cascading effect. Few among a long list of harmful things that could happen are Autoimmune diseases, genetic diseases, immune deficiencies and malignancies in humans and animals and humans depleting food supply, causing fast and wide spread diseases that may kill millions and hard if not impossible to reverse.
Humans should not gamble on the one God genetic sequence that gave them the resiliency to exist for billions of years by natural selection and evolution. To alter this based on the findings of few scientists for patent and to earn billions on the backs of the poor people is negligent if not criminal.
The argument for sound minds and cautious scientists is clear that such experiments should be done in a controlled way and small area with the most attention and care protecting the biodeivesity from contamination.
Dr. Tewolde more than any one else knows these experiments are needed to check their validity. Who better than Dr. Towolde, who was the dean of science faculty of the Addis Ababa university, President of Asmara university, originator of the fauna and flora of Ethiopia and Commisioner of the Ethiopian Environmental agency would advocate for scientific research and a better out come to feed the poor.
Therefore diluting the scientifically solid discourse of Dr. Tewolde with cheap argument about feeding the poor is a cheap shot.
Dr. Twolde has an unblemished record of feeding the poor and raising hundreds of poor students and helping them to get their PhD and post doctoral diplomas.
He has sacrificed his life for the betterment of Ethiopia, Africa and the whole world.
He was the winner of the alternate Nobel prize for his amaizing and selfless work that will be remembered for generations.
I do agree that who who did not seen starvation or live in it, should not try to be a fake servant to other.
In Africa we need change new change, we had enough the old method of getting food, we do need help from the new world not our former mastets
Sir. What Dr. Tewelde is worried about is the long term effects of GMO. Human beings have not yet fully understood nature. Human interference would have irreversible effect on the natural selection and evolution. What is more how long will be the genetically modified foods be efficient to relieve starvation before they need another round modification, not forgetting their effect on the human health. While we are at it , what do you think about the corona viruses…do you think man has a supreme knowledge to cop with nature as much as to interfere in the natural process.
Dr. Tewolde is talking about sustainability……..
The more you know about a subject the more you understand you know little! Is not it?
I totally agree with you on this one. Ethiopia has never been colonised. And it won’t by food either. Ethiopia has survived for thousands of years. When Ethiopia falls it falls on its own. And when it rises it rises on its own to. Jah bless Ethiopia.
Philip asks “what did Dr. Tewolde actually achieve for Ethiopia and Africa”? It is not strange that one poses this question if one is passionate about GMOs and associated technology, earn living from GMO business, or enjoy mega-projects financed by multinationals. In order to understand what Dr. Tewolde fought for and achieved, one needs to understand his words. Dr. Tewolde fought for the people, not for companies as his own words tell us: “I am local, rural, communal. The individualist life that challenges the family, the community and the whole world is not for me. And I find that the whole world is indeed a community. We have made progress in asserting our local community rights globally.” Everything he did was for his people, his community which is from local to global. But he never fought for the interests of corporates, as some do. He rather fought them. Through his tireless work, he managed to create Cartagena Protocol and its baby law “the African Model Law” to protect the environment and the poor people from powerful multinational companies. He protected his country’s enormous crop diversity from risks that GMOs might pose. He protected poor farmers in his country and Africa from debt and being dependent on companies for agricultural inputs (seeds). If one expects Dr. Tewolde to plow the African continent and feed its population, that is a totally wrong expectation. So, the simple answer to Philip’s question is here.
If the whole of Europe and Dr. Tewolde’s deeds are “wild conspiracies”, then we say Philip is the only perfect guy and I must leave the answer to him. Because it is hard to find an answer to such accusations. However, the racist attitude regarding Dr. Tewolde’s family is unacceptable. Philip got to learn from the above quotes. Dr. Tewolde’s life simply confirms his own words that he local, communal, and global. It is very sad to read such a racist statement from Philip in 2020.
Philip says: “a country like Ethiopia”. What does he know about smallholder farming in Ethiopia? Should they copy farming practices from American or Canadian commercial farmers? Or studies that show GMO is not suitable for smallholder farmers in Africa is a joke for Philp? May be Philip wants to see multinationals own our seeds and control our food system through patents instead of worrying about technologies that are needed to respond to the needs of the poorest population.
May I end by telling Philip that your disrespect and attack towards Dr. Tewolde is tantamount to disrespecting and an attacking majority Ethiopians. Let’s be an objective and professional brother.
Hello Dear brother,
Forget Philip, he is a salesman and his interest is making profits through whatever means- including through the death of millions.
I read your piece from Addis standard, and now Dr. Tewolde’s open letter, the problem is at home and it is devastating, what should we do to save ourselves and the generations to come?
How could we stop this madness of going against the agreement that was won by our own son?
Dr. Teshome,
I really appreciate your comments and concerns. I have also gone through your short article recently posted in Addis Standard magazine. What I am worried most about GMO is the right of farmers to own their seeds which will be definitely snatched away by the multinational Agri-Biotech companies through the name of GM seeds patent. This definitely is an act of controlling the food system of a country. It is a time the world needs to think on and design strategy that help get out of the savage and selfish companies control.
Mr. Aerni
Obviously, you are a decedent of Mr. Gates and expecting to profit from GMO and his depopulation agenda. You are not invited here nor your opinion matter to Ethiopians. We will fight you out as we did the Italians on Adewa. AIDS could not do it. All types of vaccinations your buddy Gates forced on us have not done it quick enough for you to kill us off….in fact we multiplied dispite all you have tried to get rid of us. Now, you have to try GMO. Let the hands of the Almighty reverse all what you planned on us sevenfold.
I am an Ethiopian and I have never heard of Dr. Tewolde but I thank him for his open letter. He offers a message of empowerment inviting those who are interested and motivated to be in control of their future and to fight for it. You however are keen to dismiss his credibility without introducing yourself. Maybe you have a stake in the winnings of the GMO industry. Your final comment is probably why the Ethiopian government is under pressure to accept a technology that many of its people are wary of and vehemently opposed to. That doesn’t look like a choice, it is but an imposition. Its no different to providing long term loans for real estate expansion under the condition that both land and buildings will be claimed by the lender when payments default. If a farmer has no control over his land and less control over the seed he plants, it becomes clear that the level at which experts like yourself argue in favor of GMO is done with no consideration for what happens on the ground. Science has its merits but only when it works for all humans. Not just the rich.
Covid19 is only one more threat to people who experience self imposed lock down generation after generation as a result of localised epidemics – need I list them? Ethiopia clearly is not in a position to turn its nose up on technology but it does not need to accept technology on terms that are stipulated in the fine print of agreements that allow the livelihood of farmers to fall through the cracks.
Why is the Cartegean Protocol supported by a very large number of countries and opposed only by 5 countries as Dr. Tewolde put it?
“…Can a country like Ethiopia afford to ban one of the important platform technologies of the 21st century… .” What do you mean when you say “a country like Ethiopia”, Philip? See, your preconceived bias towards Ethiopia is the biggest problem here.
And yes we can to answer your question.
Complete defaming!!
Biotechnology is not only GMO and can be used in our agriculture. Food security issue is a systems problem and cannot be solved with your corporate owned patented seeds.
Dear sir did i read that the technology would not have any harm? here is one evidence on Bt-cotton in India that disproves your argument please click the link watch the video and then give your genuine comment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNM833K22LM&feature=share
An Ethiopian friend recommended me reading Dr Tewoldeberhane’s article; when reaching the end I came across the comment by a certain Philipp Aerni. And I wondered: “who is this man to write in such polemical style about Dr TBGE”?
I googled a bit and it appears that Philipp Aerni is a leading GMO lobbyist from Switzerland. Beware also that scientists quoted in his comment are part of his own ATDF lobby group.
May the All-Mighty-God bless you! In the 1990s Ethiopian agricultural scientists were awardedas pioneers of change for preserving organic seeds by teaching farmers to save for next sowing season. Trans-Agricultural corporations used the same old play books through corrupt governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America by giving farmers GM seeds on credits and when farmers did not pay back their creditors, their farms were expropriated and millions of farmers were evicted from their lands. It was because of this very reason that Ethiopian scientists fought for poor farmenrs from being evicted from their lands because of corrupt credit system in the name of sowing “select seeds” for more output of production. The conflict of interest of Philipp Aerni is so immense and unless people like Dr Tewolde fight transagricultural corporations Ethiopia will become like guatemala whose 40% of country’s land is owned by United Fruit Company of the United States of America.
Movement against seed of colonization
GMO in Ethiopia has started but It hasn’t taken off yet . It will soon.
I would like to thank Ethiopian Observer for reporting on this issue . It looks like it is the news out let informing readers about
This damaging practice.
Already Interesting and destrictive name is given by locals ” ጂኒ ዘር ” who has been farming for generations.
Phillip please shut up and lobby for your interest only. It’s time to stand up and challenge our own government before these greedy corporates contaminate our soil.
Dear Mr. Philipp Aerni
Do please mind your business. We didn’t say that Dr. Tewldebrehan was your hero! He is our hero; an African giant! Why a bother on matters that do not matter to you? Why do you waste your time and ours on issues that do not concern you at all! Do please go and dance with your GMOs!
GMO is a threat to the seed bank (animal diversity) Ethiopia had, has, and will have. The current seeds (animal breeds) that we have now in Ethiopia looks relatively very low as compared to the GMOs. However, the local seeds (animal breeds) have their own unique character to overcome the biotic and abiotic stresses that they have developed over years through selection and adoptation processes. In Ethiopia, where there is low agriculture infrastrcuture, GMOs will survive only for few years and is not a sustainable technology to choose. Accepting GMOs is like accepting modern slavery willingly and a time might come to live without the GMOs once you lost the indigenous seeds (animal breeds).
Let my heartfelt appreciation go to Dr. Tewlde for his remarkable and iconic job in the past and his current walkup message for this and future generation to come. My sincere concern of my country as well as our continent including other nations which are represented by Dr Tewlde on Cartagena protocol.
We have to fight GMO for the safety of our people and not to blamed by the generation to come. The Western corporations have exploited much of our resources from minerals , raw materials to brain drainage.
So is high time we have to be vigilant and advise the policy makers and openup dialogues on massmedia and show the disadvantages of GMO.
By the way even the Americans are now shifting to non GMO. Ethiopia has abundant organic seeds and others which can be easily used. The neo colonialist are always are hindering our development.
Those who do not know we Ethiopians have abundant resources which can easily turn our country on top of the developed countries. This is not an arrogant statement for any one to believe.
Let me sight a few examples:
1. Ethiopias civilisation is back to 4000 years, anyone interested can refer a lot of materials , by which time most European countries are struggling in darkness.
2. Ethiopia has been controlling most of African countries before Christ.
3. Do you know that Southern Atlantic used to be called Ethiopia Sea?
4. The world building design cannot copy or show us even now that our forefathers have constructed buildings starting from the roof and going to the foundation.
5. The forefathers of the neocolonialsts have ploted a cou deta on Empror Hailesilassie in 1963, hampering the development of the country on the fund obtained from Russia amounting to 40 billion rubles in 1960. By the way had this project have been materialised Ethiopia could have been self sufficient in agricultural produce.
So with due respect we do not need your support we can run our business, do not interfere in our interest we have more than enough intellectuals who can promote the interest of our people. I can not deny there were and still are iconic westerners whom we trust work with them. Even some of them have great concern about Erhiopia.
Great to read from Dr. Tewelde after a long time of lull period.
His most important message is:
“If the Federal Government is simply ignoring the legal status of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety [CPB], then it would be obvious that it is breaking international law.”
However, I am Dr. Tewolde knows this facts as well.
1. Being signatory to CBP does NOT mean that a country has to reject genetically engineered products – it means they should be regulated in a standardized manner.
2. Most Asian, African and Latin American countries (Sudan, South Africa, Kenya, India, China, Brazil, Spain, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, eSwatni, Myanmar, …) are signatories of CPB but that did not stop them from adopting the GM technology (India alone [eleven] 11-Million ha of Bt-cotton).
3. USA and Argentina are the two countries I know not to have signed the CBP. However, the regulatory requirements are much stronger than those countries who have signed CBP.
4. If a country wants to reject GM products, there is NO need to refer to CBP break – the country can simply declare so, or put a stringent law in place (like Dr. Tewelde did!) and No one will bother the country.
5. May be it is NOT admitted officially, but if you want to know what happened to the “African Model Law” (Dr. Tewelde was the chief architect!), the Head Quarter of AUC is in Addis for anyone who wants to know.
So, in effect, the Government and its institutions know what they have been doing, and there is NO breach of any agreement or protocol. Otherwise, whatever he says, Dr. Tewelde has to be respected for what he has done in the 90s to early 20s. On the other hand, I am sure Dr. Tewelde also realizes that nothing is static, least of all, science.
Thank you!
First of all why would we Africans, Indians, Asians even think for a moment that these people with the GMO agenda have our best interest at heart. Just stop and think about history for a second… thanks for the insights Dr. Tewolde. As for the proponents of GMO (in the US Europe and other places) big Agro, big Pharma, and those knowing and unknowingly pushing their agenda your corrupt agenda is already getting pushback from many across the globe. No longer do your so called new technologies, scientific papers, research institutes, threats of hunger and famine etc.. hold water anymore. You go around the world poisoning people and then come with the so-called treatments. Your own citizens in the US are going back to the basics of the way the indian nations farmed before your empire ethnically cleansed and exterminated them to almost extinction.
Look most of these industrialized nations (their people I mean not the corporations) are realizing that technology and science is not what they were lead to believe. We Africans have a very long and strong base of what has worked. Let’s stick to that with some adjustments done by our own people not some data analytic, professor, money grabber vulture brainwashed by the shiny and glittery world of Europe and America. Africa and Asia back to basics!!! Listen to Vandana Shiva as a small example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gof7vdQI6OM
Dr Tewolde agreed in 2015 to the amendment of the long standing biosafety law of Ethiopia. That resulted in parliament having amended the law on GMOs. What was the basis of his agreement. Here was his consent. 👇. Now what exactly happenef after that?
https://addisfortune.net/articles/parliament-amends-gmo-law-to-allow-ethiopian-research-partnerships/
Dr Tewolde, happy birthday. So nice to read your wonderful article and reminding us to watch out. I hope to pay you a visit on my next trip to Addis. Yacob Mulugetta
The detractors of Dr. Tewolde present themselves as the saviors of Africa from starvation. They hypocritically blame people like Dr. Tewolde (whose only demand is risk assessment and transparency prior to adopting genetically engineered crops to any environment) as obstacles to poor and hungry African countries from enjoying the bounty of modern biotechnology. The truth is no GE crop that is being cultivated has shown better yield than other varieties. The marginal improvement in yield is the result of the excessive use of chemicals as herbicides. In fact, what the adoption of the GE varieties has done so far is tie-in the farmers to specific products of specific biotech company.
Phillip Aerni’s criticism of Dr. Tewolde as the mouthpiece of European donors reminds me what the Editors of the renowned journal “Science” had inquired sometime in 1996/97 following the submission of a complete draft of a biosafety protocol that reflects the African common position to the Working Group that was established to negotiate such a protocol. Science was reaching out to people to find out the European or American scientist/s who were behind the African proposal. They could not believe such a solid proposal to be a product of African minds. The fact was, a small team of Ethiopian experts, including myself, led by Dr. Tewolde developed the proposal over several months of debate and submitted a draft to African experts which further examined, improved and finally submitted it as African position document. As the only lawyer in the Ethiopian small team of experts, I was responsible to put the proposal in the form of a legal draft document.
Surely, developing countries need GE and modern biotechnology in their toolbox in their efforts to improving their agriculture and food situation. However, the suggestion that the use of GE crops will save them, make them food secure misses the point. More than enough food is being grown around the world now. Yes, millions go hungry. Thus, the real issue is not the amount of food produced. In fact, the more farmers rely on GE varieties the more they lose control over essential agricultural inputs, mainly seeds.
The same people who are accusing Dr. Tewolde for being manipulated by European donors and Eurocentric NGOs, express abundance of love for people like the late Calestous Juma who was kicked out from his position as the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity under which the negotiations of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was taking place at the time. Mr. Juma lost the confidence of the African negotiators due to his glaring bias in favour of the position of the US and its allies. He left the Secretariat and moved to the US and later joined Harvard and became an advocate for the expansion of GE and other technologies marketed by US companies. I can mention a few African “experts” who stood on the other side of the aisle and received praise from the US Government and people like Philip above, not as a matter of conviction but in search of green pasture. Some have in fact admitted that to me.
Let me be clear – I am not against any Government’s choice to introducing GE crops or their efforts to derive benefit from the application of modern biotechnology. However, I totally reject the smear by Philip and the likes against Dr. Tewolde, the octogenarian true African scientist who almost changed the world!
At the time when Dr. Tewolde was General Manager of the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority, I was also acting head of the Pollution Control Department. I therefore had the chance to closely follow the challenges Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety was facing during the negotiations.
I am simply coming in to inform Ethiopians the the challenges Dr. Tewolde was facing from the side of the Multi National Coroporates that invested multi-billion dollar on GMOs. At one time, I remember he was even denied entry visa for his travel abroad to participate in the negotiation of Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety . I also remember,he was receiving several warnings for the simple reason that he was leading the negotiation of the protocol.
people like Philipp Aerni are trying to convince us by providing distorting information on GMOs. Thanks to Dr. Tewolde, we Ethiopians are well aware of the adverse effects of GOMs. we know what is good and what is bad for us and you can not cheat us any more.
Thanks much to Dr. Tewolde and Worku Damena for your exemplary professional work to stand up for the survival of our people and protect us from the ocean of confusion in the name of science, and the shameful deception disguised in the name of Bio technology pull us out of poverty by advancing our traditional agriculture.. We are for science that is going to serve us not control us. No wonder the like of Philipp are doing what they are trained and paid for by the multinationals. The record shows that the multinationals always stood for their profit and control, period. Time have changed for the better. We are in a new era of free knowledge of science and communication. Africans will undoubtedly rise and claim their deserved place in science.
I am an Ethiopian from farming family with a background of NRM & sustainable agriculture. I was shocked when l learnt that our government has approved introduction of GMO to Ethiopian Agriculture. This is because the intention of addressing the current food insecurity in the way that compromise the future capabilities to sustain life & livelihoods of millions. Let us think over it again.
Dear Dr Tewolde,
It is good that you have aired your concerns in relation to Ethiopia’s decision regarding GMO. I know you have been a fierce advocate of environmental protection. I my self have been a proponent of most of your teachings. I am also glad that we went to the same university, Bangor University, although our attendences there are about half a century apart! However, I respectfully disagree with your views in this open letter.
1) The current context: Ethiopia did not allow mass production of GMO, per se, contrary to what your letter implied to an uninformed reader. What has actually been decided now is that research institutions can collaborate with similar global institutions and carry out research with these organisms: the GMO’s. As even this was not allowed under previous regulations, this could be a big step. Still, it does not allow mass import and production of GMO’s, especially with food crops. The regulation is loose on non-food products such as cotton.
2) Ethiopia’s regulation and GMO: As usual Ethiopia had a strict law to prohibit it. But, it never had a regulatory means. No enough knowledge about it; no authorities responsible to at least push to put labels on imported items. In practical terms, we might have well been consuming good chunk of GMO soy oil. It is oobvious that we beed appropriate understanding to make the right decisions So, doing research on GMO (the government relaxing the regulations) could be a good thing. The more we do research with it, the better we know about it whether to promote or protest against it. Calling to blatantly ‘protest’ against this nove by the government is illogical, unwise and unexpectedly rushed to have come from a personality of your stature (to say the least). I advocate for making further (research based) analysis and decide on how to proceed, rather than completely opposing it from the on set.
3) The GMO debate is a quite politicized, spritualized and ethicssized concept. Most of the arguments against it come from activists, religious leaders and politicians, not from science-based facts. For example, while it is usually claimed in anti-GNO campains, there is no convincing evidence that GMO can cause cancer (in deed, you did nit use such unfounded arguements in your letter!). Statements such as “…possible new and unexpected outcomes of plants and animals that could be harmful to the environment…”, that you have used in your own letter clearly show the exten of sopeculations involved. The anti-GMO outcries have been driven by ‘what could possibly go wrong’ rather than what evidences show in bold. No study confirmed GMO’s causing health issues in humans. The ethical issues are rather plausible. Greedy seed corporates can abuse snallholder farmers by controlling all the genetic materials etc.
4) Conventions that Ethiopia has signed: I understand that you were greatly contributed towards the ratification of the Cartegena Convention. However, that should not be an obstacle between achieving food self-sufficiency (whether through GMO or other technologies) and starving for millions of fellow citizens. As a dedicated man of ethics and moral values, I hope you would not argue the convention could be kept intact at the expense of millions starving to death. I agree that the country should follow international rules and customs to lawfuly nullify the convention.
With best regards,
Tesfaye
Tesfaye,
First, which convention are you talking about?
Second, if you mean the Convention on Biological Diversity and/or the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, can you please let us know which provisions of the convention/protocol are causes of starvation? Do you really know these treaties? Have ever read them? Or are you just uttering old and tired hearsay?
Leave him. Tesfish min honek new. What progress were made in the GMO front? Same insect resistance and herbicide tolerance. No? Have you ever tried to understand its socioeconomic impact? I am not referring to glorious company report as you can imagine.
Dear Worku,
I was referring to Dr Tewolde’s justification ‘… Ethiopia should refrain from allowing GMO research, because that would be against the Cartagena convention…’
I understand your argument for having the freedom to do research in the area of GMO, but could not understand how you bring about food self-sufficiency to the starving millions through GMO research.
If we have not seen the harmful side effects of GMO at this moment, it does not mean they are safe. There should be long term study to know its effects on humans. Till then we need to be careful.
So many products that we were told to be safe, have polluted drinking water source, destroyed fauna & flora & even killed and maimed humans later on. In the absence of local regulatory agency, we need to be cautious and the best policy is to keep such produce at harms way.
I am against GMO. As we all know COVID19 is our global problem. This is because it is new and unkown to us. We do not have prior experience on COVID19. Similarly, we can not have a surprise free future with GMO. As to my knowledge GMO is dangerous for።our country because of the following rrasons.
1. It disturbes our natural ecosystem and affects our flora and fauna.
2. It erodes our gen pool and leave us optionless in time disaster
3. It makes our agriculture dependent on external supply.
4. Our soil micro fauna and flora will be contaminated with the Exudates of bacteria inoculated GMO.
5. Above all it paralizes our economy and leaves as clueless and optioness.
Dear Concerned Ethiopian fellows, we actually know what we want and not, what is good for us or not, we dont need to waste our time and energy on selfish ‘tumulters ‘ you know whom i am referring to… lets just get in to solutions… someone with a loud and clear voice like Dr. Tewlde can lead us to united action against the GMO issue which they are trying to implement.
Regards,
Dear Girma,
Let me explain the link (between GMO research and ending starvation). Ethiopia being a host to millions if starving population is a fact. GMOs have great potential to boost food production, while their ‘harmful side-effects’ are mere speculations. My point, then, is we should not fear the unknown (GMO) and suffer a known death (starvation).
If we have not seen the harmful effects of GMOs so far, there is no convincing reason to fear there will be some in the future.
In deed, many products have been polluting the environment. But, no such environmental damage has been reported for GMOs.
Harms caused by GMOs are known very well known and hard to say speculative!! We have the crop genetic diversity that can feed our population. What our agriculture needs is a system that can build infrastructure, introduce modern agriculture systems that can increase efficiency. Crop post harvest loss is 40-50% as reported by WFP and FAO. We have all the potential to feed our people given the properly functional systems put in place. It is not a mere fear, it is a threat to our crop genetic diversity.
Dear Tesfaye, and …
Let’s be careful while airing our senses. It is lamenting to consider GMO as a primary strategy to reduce food insecurity in Ethiopia, having its ecology and natural resources. Let’s exhaust the possible many alternatives; freedom to work, among others.
Shifting thoughts and strategies against considering the basic cause of poverty is a strategy to work for poverty cultivation in this country, due to ignorant and irresponsible “advisors” and officials.
Let’s see more sustainable strategies. 1, 2., 3…
Indeed, there are many innovations to be employed that can help; but, playing with GMO is just wasting resources and confusing the society.
Thank you Dr. Tewolde Berhan G/Egziabher for your concern! We Ethiopian and African stand with you! It is the issue of identity and stability.
So please western leave us and live your life. We know for us coz we are Ethiopians
“land of origin” for mankind and species. We understand your target, so it is unthinkable to test and apply GMO in our Holyland! period!
It has been tried in many countries, and it does not work it has caused a lot of soil, water, and so on issues. Read on impact of GMO in countries all over. Europe would not allow it because they are aware of its impact to its population.
GMO is nothing but A MULTINATIONAL LIKE MONSANTO making money out of nothing.
They promise the farmers the world but in reallity it has left many farmers poor in India.
IT IS NOT A SOLUTION FOR FEEDING HIGH POPULATION.
Can you imagine you have to pay for your seed each time you wish to plant? Because the seed now belongs to some MULTINATIONAL?
Seed is from nature, they have reengineered it and have basically owned it via a patent.
They are marketing it through BILL GATES to poor countries who know nothing about what they are getting into
I like to thank the well known Dr. Tewolde gebregziabher for his admirable knowledge and service for our nation over the years and I wish him good health and good life.
The National issues of GMO and Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) ought to be handled with the utmost care and deliberation as any wrong decision on either will result in irreversible national disaster. The cultivation of GMO seeds would be detrimental to Ethiopia’s food sovereignty, food security, bio-diversity, bio-safety, and rural farmers’ livelihood. Let it be known that this writer is a strong advocate of science and technology that is responsibly applied to reduce world hunger, improve nutrition, reduce climate change, and improve agricultural productivity. What this writer is adamantly opposed to is unfettered and unregulated application of technologies. There is no question that the field of Biotechnology of which genetic engineering is a part shows promising potential to improve people’s lives especially in the field of medicine. This is an urgent call to my fellow Ethiopians to come together in rejecting this dangerous, irresponsible, and short-sighted policy reversal that will adversely Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. This creates combinations of what is meant by Food Security, Biodiversity, Bio-safety, and Food Sovereignty.
• Food Security : All people should have the right, at all times, to have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
• Biodiversity: Refers to the number of individual species, genetic variety within and between species, and the diversity of ecosystems and regions.
• Bio-safety: Refers to the safety of human and environment from intentional or unintentional release of pathogenic microorganisms and biohazards.
• Food Sovereignty: People who produce, distribute, and consume food should control the mechanisms and policies of food production and distribution. “Who controls the food supply, controls the people; who controls the energy can control whole continents, who controls money, can control the world.” Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. If we all agree that the aforementioned are very desirable goals for our country and our agricultural policy, then introduction of GMO foods into our country will most certainly make them impossible to achieve. Monsanto markets and sells a product called Roundup, a herbicide said to eliminate weed without harming the GMO crops. Monsanto’s Roundup has been proven to contain glyph sate, a cancer causing carcinogen linked to autism, ADHD, food allergies, asthma, leaky gut, IBD, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, heart disease and cancer. It should be understood that both Bt Cotton and Drought-Tolerant (DT) Maize are genetically modified and not through the traditional hybrid method whereby a farmer selects the two best plants of the same species and cross- pollinates them in order to get the best of both ‘parents’ with nature doing the rest. Traditional farmers, small and medium sized alike, relied for centuries on their indigenous naturally-evolving or through hybrid method, seed varieties to grow grains, vegetables, fruits, and other cash crops to sustain themselves and their families and sold any surplus in the local market. A portion of a given year’s harvest was saved up for subsequent growing season thus allowing the farmers to be self-sufficient in terms of seed supply. This epitomizes the essence of food sovereignty and food security. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including plants and animals, make a complete departure from the traditional hybrid method which has long been safe and tested sustainable approach. What genetic engineering does in essence is recklessly intervene in nature by altering the DNA structure of the plant by artificially introducing a gene cell from another organism which may not necessarily be a plant. It could be from an insect, animal, bird, fish, worm, virus, bacteria or any other organism. As a result, what we invest in our food produced in GMO farms could contain a mishmash of genes from across any conceivable living organism which nature never intended in the billions of years that it’s been in existence. In designing these genetically modified seeds and their desire to control world food supply, the only consideration for Monsanto and Co who own the patents worldwide is; (1) is there a certain living organism out there that contains the characteristic or gene we desire so that we can extract and genetically modify another organism?. (Can we patent and market this product?). In all of this, the overarching goal remains control of world food supply which guarantees dominant market share and the associated political power that they could wield worldwide. In doing so, these companies are entering uncharted territories. Why is GMO bad for Ethiopia and the world at large?
Once these GMO seeds are allowed in for cultivation, the host country loses any and all control over its domestically produced food supply and the farmers become just another input in the long food chain. In order to penetrate a given market, the modus operandi of Monsanto and the other major players is as follows: Heavy lobbying, bribing, disseminating falsified information regarding the so called virtues of GMO in terms of improving yield, quality, etc. They prey on countries with weak or non-existent agricultural research institutes, regulatory and parliamentary bodies. Of course, it helps their cause greatly if the targeted country is led by a non-nationalist and weak leadership. Once they soften up and penetrate the government, the next step is introducing their GMO seeds to be cultivated on a so called trial basis in a so called confined space. As many biotech scientists have attested to, the only relatively secure environment in which GMO seed cultivation can be confined and controlled is in a lab. If the trial takes place on a field, no one can prevent cross-contamination of surrounding agricultural fields. The promoters of GMO seeds like Monsanto approach local farmers with a promise, free of charge, to train and provide them with free seeds much like a drug dealer hands out free samples of cocaine or crack to unsuspecting youth in hopes of getting them hooked and becoming future regular paying customers. Furthermore, once Ethiopia starts importing and planting GMO crop seeds whose patents are owned by Monsanto, all of its indigenous crop seeds will disappear for good. The devastating impact of GMO agriculture on host countries (you reap what you sow) Once GMO seeds are cultivated, there is no going back. The following should highlight the dangers awaiting our farmers and the country at large.
• Allowing multinationals to sell us patented GMO seeds for cultivation is tantamount to privatization of life itself. We literally relinquish the right to use our God-given indigenous seeds.
• Seed ownership and control will be transferred from farmers to powerful multinationals.
• Farmers will be forced to buy the GMO seeds from the supplier every planting season. Saving seeds from the current harvest will be virtually impossible and prohibited as was common practice traditionally.
• Farmers will be reduced to becoming consumers of plant seeds instead of being custodians.
• Seed prices will be subjected to fluctuations in foreign currency.
• Ethiopia has 10’s of thousands of seed variety most of which are indigenous. Farmers were able to plant a variety of seeds side by side on a small plot of land. With the new introduction of GMO seeds, the farmers can only grow one variety on a plot. This will kill biodiversity.
• If our foreign currency held by national and commercial banks dwindles, it’s not just imports of
Luxury items that will be affected, but the very seeds we need to import and grow food and feed our ever growing population will be severely hampered. This will kill Food Security!
• Western powers will use seed supply as a political tool to coerce our country to align its foreign policy with theirs. This will kill food sovereignty.
• Once GMO farms spread across the country, no organic farming will ever be possible as cross-
Contamination from GMO farms will completely poison the surrounding Organic farmlands.
• More pesticides will poison our environment
• Ever-growing use of weed killers such as Monsanto’s Roundup will result in chemical-resistant
Super-weeds’ natural fertility of soil
• Destruction which may then breed with wild plants.
• Reduction in soil structure
• Killing of beneficial microbes and insects
• Ground water pollution and depletion
• Atmospheric pollution
Ethiopia is a pioneer in creating and maintaining Seed Banks which store thousands of indigenous seed varieties in various parts of the country. What makes our seed banks unique is the fact that these seeds are live as opposed to the Vaults located near the North Pole that store seeds under a sheet of ice. Experience in countries like Mexico and India shows that biotech/chemical companies like Monsanto do not want to see these indigenous plants to be planted or stored. Instead of the 10’s of thousands of seed varieties available in the world, they want just a few patented GMO seeds that they produce to dominate the world food market. For this reason, Ethiopia should safeguard its indigenous crop seeds the same way it protects its gold reserves at the national bank. No western researcher or NGO should be allowed anywhere near these precious seed banks certainly not Monsanto or its current owner Bayer. We should also be vigilant when dealing with other companies that have a license agreement with the likes of Monsanto. Case in point, the recent government legislation to allow GMO seeds namely Bt Cotton and Drought-Tolerant (DT) Maize are to be supplied by an Indian company which has a license agreement with Monsanto. Ethiopia can still take the leading role in rejecting GMO in favor of Organic agriculture by mobilizing African countries through AU and other regional organizations and by learning from global organic food production powerhouse like Russia. Finally, I call upon all concerned subject matter experts of whom we have plenty to come forward and educate the public through social media, print and broadcast media and even publish pertinent articles for wider distribution. To give the matter greater weight, a public forum might be in order, one that brings together agricultural experts, biotechnologists, farmers, public policy experts, NGO’s, regional peoples’ representatives. Many people may not know that there is an Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI) founded in the early 80’s which is the world’s first ‘living’ seed bank which contains the largest and most important plant seeds in sub-Saharan Africa with over 62,000 varieties of native plants. In contrast, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (aka. Doomsday Vault), located near the North Pole, funded and managed by the Norwegian government, is housed underneath thick ice meant as a bunker to protect seed stocks against global calamity. The founder of EBI, agronomist Melaku Worede received the Right Livelihood Award also known as Alternative Nobel for his work as its first director. His pioneering work differs radically in that while western conservationists only collect and preserve, his seed bank practices conservation through use and seed rotation. In his astute and highly informative commentary (highly recommended reading) dated April 23, 2020 with the headline “Ethiopia’s acceptance of GMOs turns decades of Pan-African Environmental leadership on its head,” Teshome Hunduma of Addis Standard magazine, states that the 2009 bio-safety law, which had built-in safeguards to protect against risks posed by GMOs, was amended in 2015 making way for field trial of Bt Cotton without little public debate or media coverage. Prior to 2015, Ethiopia resisted the use of GMOs for many years. It played a key leadership role within the African Group. Ethiopia through its chief negotiator Dr. Tewolde Gebregziabher played a key role in the international negotiations that led to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety, which was adopted in 2000 and entered into force in 2003. The protocol was hailed by African countries and environmental groups as an international mechanism to protect environmental safety, human health and the quality of socio-economic and cultural conditions from potential risks arising from use of GMOs. Many African countries rushed to sign and ratify the Protocol and developed restrictive national laws to domesticate it, using precautionary principles. As a foundation for its GMO regulatory system, in 2009, Ethiopia enacted a highly restrictive bio-safety law that prohibited the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment, announcing to the world that it is committed to protecting its uniquely high crop diversity from GMO contamination and genetic erosion. In her world-acclaimed book ‘Shock Doctrine – The Rise of Disaster Capitalism’, Naomi Klein coined the phrase ‘shock therapy’ which argues that neoliberal forces resort to exploitation of national crises (disasters, political upheavals, to which we can add Corona Pandemic) to push through and establish controversial and unpopular policies and laws while citizens are excessively distracted to put up any meaningful resistance or to even notice. The crises could be natural or manufactured. The sooner we realize that western governments are only interested in furthering their own national interests and not reducing poverty or feeding our continent as they claim, the sooner we will be prepared to safeguard our own national interests. When scientists and geopolitical analysts are predicting that future wars will be fought over food and water and not oil, the last thing we should be doing is give up our inalienable right to own and control our food supply and to protect our indigenous crops seeds from being genetically modified and patented by these global GM seed companies like Monsanto. Since time immemorial, our farmers had less need for chemicals. They have always been using conventional farming as opposed to synthetic farming for many years in order to be safe and in order to keep their environment safe. Therefore, they have been using normal and natural farming methods and traditional and natural breading mechanisms like crop rotation that fostered a more healthy and sustainable environment. Those normal and natural ways and means had no negative effect on both their crops and other agricultural products or on their own health. Traditional farmers use natural practices. They did not use insecticides, pesticides herbicides or any other toxic mixtures, toxic chemicals or genetically modified crops because they know very well that there is no need for all these chemicals or mixtures that affect or pollute the environment and also because they understand that those chemicals or mixtures can be deadly. Most studies and researches such as the Journal of Organic Systems found a correlation between many serious diseases and an increased use of genetically modified crops. Some of these health conditions were strokes, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic disorders, autism, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, obesity, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain cancers, such as bladder, pancreas, kidney, liver, and thyroid. To add to this, there is also environmental damage, health issues, and even such as Autism, gluten intolerance, birth defects, and many more startling health issues are all linked to GMO. If we don’t tread carefully in formulating our policies and laws in a way that preserves our long-term national interests, we could end up being a basket case instead of a bread basket.
Dr. Yohannes gebresellsie
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