Member of Parliament Rubabo Constituency
Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Plot 16-18 Parliament Avenue
P.O BOX 7178, Kampala, Uganda.
In its current form the Bill is aligned to the interests of transnational companies and not to the interests of Ugandan farmers and the wider public. The proposed Bill will facilitate the introduction genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) on a massive scale without any safeguards. This is a violation of the precautionary principle, which forms the basis of the African Union’s revised African Model Law on Biodiversity. Thus, the adoption of this Bill would compromise the future adoption of a national Ugandan Biodiversity Bill based on the African Model Law on Biodiversity.
Subjecting the agricultural sector to the imperatives of the agro-industry and its GMO-model will gradually destroy traditional family farming, local seed systems and Ugandan food. The massive introduction of GMO’s will increase family farmer’s dependency on agro-industry, because they will be obliged to buy costly patented seeds and expensive fertilisers. Due to such increased production costs, there is a risk of high indebtedness and bankruptcy for family farmers. Additionally, patented commercial seeds deprive farmers of the right to save, replant, share or propagate their ownseeds. This harms the foodself-sufficiency of family farmers, who represent the majority of the Ugandan population, and as consequence the entire country’s foodsovereignty. The introduction of GM-feedstock will have the same effect for livestock farming and will eliminate traditional herding practices. The combination of these effects of GMO’s will lead to the disappearance of local seeds and food stuffs.
Morrison Rwakakamba
Voter – Rubabo Constituency
