Last week there was a rare opinion piece in the traditional newspaper pages – and from of all sources the Des Moines Register.
Rare in that in the midst of a sea of “Technology will save the world, and biotech will save the hungry” drones that dominate mainstream media opinion pages, this one called into question the approach, methodology and agenda the Microsoft-Monsanto hybrid the Gates Foundation is funding which is pushing biotech crops on African Farmers.
The blog comes from Dennis Keeny and Sophia Murphy – good folks at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
They write: “Bill Gates and the biotech juggernauts are doing their best to keep Africa dependent on imported technology, just like in the bad old days of colonialism. Gates, Monsanto and Pioneer have joined the long list of those believing they know best how the continent should grow its food. If the history of colonialism and subsequent development practice have taught us anything, it is that all interventions must strengthen resilience, encourage diversity and be locally appropriate. The biotech seed proposal for Africa fails on all three counts.”
Read the full piece to hear the argument out.
– MD
