At this level, it is important to notice yet unidentified secondary
risks that food from transgenic cultivation may have on consumers’
health.
- GMOs in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Political
Leaders’ Responsibility
Africa is probably the continent most affected by hunger and mal-
nutrition. Following the example of developing countries, African
countries face a high demographic growth and a low agricultural pro-
ductivity due, in most cases, to natural disasters, armed conflicts, bad
governance, etc.
As GMOs are advancing globally, they appear as an excellent
remedy proposed by science to Africa to fill the gap between its demo-
graphic pressure and agricultural productivity. They provide great
prospects for the growth of productivity and fight against insects and
rodents that decimate harvest, desertification and dryness, epizooties
and other plant sicknesses. It is worth noticing that most African
countries are very late in the domain of transgenic plants and have
very little access to the appropriate technology, except Senegal, Egypt
and South Africa.^10
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has no concrete impli-
cation in the domain of transgenic cultivation. To begin with, there is
a serious lack of information on several levels.^11 Moreover, there is no
legal framework to handle this question. The lack of official position
by the government puts Congolese consumers, as well as state serv-
ices, in an uncomfortable and irresponsible position.
What are the responsibilities of Congolese political leaders facing
this situation?
a) Information : emphasis needs to be put on the enormous lack of
information regarding GMOs in the DRC. Without an informed
population and international community, any attempt carried on
in this field will be affect. For instance, there are no valid and pos-
sible surveys to identify the impact of GMOs on consumers and on
agricultural and rural development in the country.
b) Agricultural policy :for rural farmers in developing countries as in
the DRC, what is needed is not really this high and new technol-
ogy, but simply a good policy that permit an easy accessibility and
a fair distribution of the country’s wealth in order to allow them
to sell their products very well, transport them easily to centres of
great consumption, supply rapidly and easily necessity products,
and have education facilities. So, political leaders have to :
- establish a national agricultural policy that takes into account
real farmers’ needs and that guarantees their independence ;
Congolese Leaders Face Genetically Modified Organisms 301