GMO Labelling Regulations Harsh for Business, Could Lead to Food Shortage - Kenyan Millers Warn

Recently published GMO labeling regulations for Kenya (Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 17 of 2012, Legal notice no. 40) are too prohibitive for the milling industry and are likely to cause food shortage in the country this year. Millers are alarmed that the country could slump into a food crisis considering that most of them are now shying off importing maize yet the country's maize harvest have been substantially cut down by a mysterious maize diseases ravaging farms across the country.

In a presentation at the 58^th OFAB Kenya session on 28^th June in Nairobi, Mrs. Paloma Fernandes, the Executive Officer of Cereal Millers Association of Kenya noted that ,"The government needs to carefully analyze the impacts of the regulations. Immediate victims of these new regulations are going to be the consumers, farmers and millers." She added that, "There is therefore a need for a return to the negotiation table so as to come up with a mutually acceptable document to all the stakeholders."

The contentious regulations require that all GM derived products are labeled from production to marketing. At the same time, they also impose highly punitive fines of Kshs 20 million and a 10 year jail term if a trader fails to comply. These penalties have now left most millers and biotechnology stakeholders seeking a review of the newly gazetted regulations.

For more on this news and for biotech news in Africa contact Jonathan Odhong at j.odhong@cgiar.org.