What’s the point of having a law if companies can fork out money to be exempted from the provisions of that law? There are no safeguards set out when it comes to food aid in Swaziland. Section 14 of the Biosfatey Bill No. 7 of 2012 is even reminiscent of the mafia’s ‘conspiracy of silence’. Is this bill really about the wellbeing of the people and the environment around them? We took a look.
No To GMOs
Swaziland has been gearing up for a biotechnological future, as made evident in the existence of the Royal Science and Biotechnology Park. Most of us consume GMOs without even knowing it. For something to interact with our biology, it has to be tried, tested, and painstakingly researched because lives are literally at stake. The RSTP should be involved in a review of the bil, with the general populace being part of the process.
The Biosafety Bill is meant to regulate GMOs in the country in such a way that the strictest safety standards and best practices are followed. Contrary to that, it would seem that the legislation whose focus should be on the people’s health is more concerned with making things favourable for big companies looking to cash in on Swaziland’s food insecurity. By the end of the article, it should be clear why such a claim is being made by this publication.
Money Is The Motive
The public, whom the legislation affects, is not involved in the decision-making process around GMOs, especially when it comes to applications for authorization, and this is not in line with the Draft Policy preceding the bill. This can be perceived as unethical, considering the public has a right to be involved in the policy-making process. Those who are governed must be consulted about the instruments regulating their lives, this is Political Science 101.
When it comes to commercially imported bulk shipments of GMOs, there is no requirement that the shipments be assessed for safety, with the highest standards observed and industry best practices employed. When it comes to food aid, the bill disappoints even more. Only milled GM food should be allowed in Swaziland, according to the Draft policy. The shipments must be accompanied by a written declaration guaranteeing all events have been approved in the country of origin and it doesn’t contain any unapproved contaminants. All of these requirements were firmly set out in the Draft Policy, but when it comes to the actual bill, there are no real safety precautions for food aid.
Hectic Genetics
Several studies have come out suggesting that some GMOs may not be as safe to consume as we had thought. Monsanto's GM corn was linked to tumours in rats after a study was conducted on the effect of the corn. We know that human beings share many genes with rats, which is why we normally use rats during experiments. If rats can get cancer from Monsanto's corn, then so can we.
The ramifications of the gaps and blunders in legislative instruments of this nature are huge. Imagine if the poor people of Swaziland have been eating sickness-inducing food aid all this time. The damage would have already been done, and little could be done to remedy the consequences. When it comes to people’s health, there are no do-overs. Sure, you can drag governments and organizations through the courts. You might even get reasonable compensation by way of a judge’s verdict, but the fact of the matter is that we live once and life is irreplaceable.
Since Swaziland is a Christian country, and in the spirit of spirituality, it’s worth mentioning that even the bible is against GMOs. Refer to Leviticus 19:19 for evidence towards that end. How shocking is it for the kingdom to take this matter so lightly, even going as far as letting companies bend the rules? Doesn’t SD have a bioethics authority of some sort? What do you think of the Biosafety Bill and what should be done about it? Does it sound like this bill is really about biosafety? Drop a comment below, research more on GMOs, and FOLLOW FOR EVERYTHING KING MSWATI!
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