Bill Gates in Kenya: the controversial promotion of GMOs in Africa

Famed businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates recently visited Kenya to promote genetically modified (GM) foods and raise awareness of their importance. In a powerful speech, he expressed his support for this controversial technology, while explaining that he consumes these genetically modified foods without any negative impact on himself. However, his statements elicited mixed reactions from Africans, particularly those living in agricultural areas.

African cultures endangered to enrich the great powers

Bill Gates began by pointing out that the organic market, which is widespread in Western countries, is not adapted to Africa. He argued that the organic market is a small but expensive segment of the food industry. This statement has drawn criticism, as many Africans have traditionally consumed and grown up with organic produce.

It is important to note that the agricultural market in Africa is mainly made up of small farmers, representing around 80% of the sector. GMOs are not always applicable in this context. Genetically modified crops require specific seeds and can cause cross-pollination problems for neighboring farms that do not grow GMOs. This can lead to legal disputes over intellectual property.

Indeed, if pollen from GMO crops spreads to neighboring non-GM farms, this could lead to claims of ownership by the large corporations that hold the rights to these GMOs. These companies could then claim that production from the unmodified farm does not belong to the farmers, but rather to them, since they claim genetic paternity of these crops, something that will result in losses for small farmers.

Proponents of GMOs argue that this technology is more resistant to harsh climatic conditions, insect pests and diseases, which could potentially boost agricultural yields in Africa. However, critics point to the long-term economic implications for farmers. GMOs often require the purchase of special seeds from the big chemical companies that control this field, Bayer as well as Monsanto and Dupont, creating an ongoing and costly dependency for farmers by enriching the latter even further.

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Bill Gates: A man with controversial ambitions

It’s also worth noting that Bill Gates is best known for his investment in Monsanto in 2010, where he acquired 500,000 shares for $23 billion in GMOs. This financial involvement has raised questions about his real motives for promoting GMOs in Africa.

Some argue that Bill Gates’ philanthropy and promotion of GMOs could be seen as a way of controlling the African agricultural market and imposing continued dependence on large agrochemical companies. Indeed, GMOs have a peculiarity. Unlike conventional crops, GMOs cannot be reproduced from their own seeds. So, after a single use, farmers are forced to buy new seeds from these companies.

Africa has a long history of organic farming and seed sharing between farmers. The introduction of GMOs could potentially upset this tradition, leading to a loss of food sovereignty for local communities.

It should be remembered that Bill Gates was prosecuted for unfair business practices, including “unfair competition”, due to his attempt to monopolize the market by limiting the compatibility of his computers to browsers developed by his company. The courts ruled these actions illegal and sentenced him accordingly. As a result, he launched this GMO program, with the aim of restoring his public image.

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A crucial debate for food security and the future of agriculture

Bill Gates’ speech in Kenya sparked debate on the pros and cons of GMOs in Africa. Some believe that this technology could help solve food security problems, while others fear the long-term economic and environmental consequences.

It is essential that decisions concerning the adoption of GMOs in Africa are taken in an informed way, taking into account local realities and the needs of farming communities. An open and transparent debate on this complex issue is needed to find balanced and sustainable solutions for the future of agriculture in Africa.

Totally inspired by Zack Mwekassa’s video