Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
GMOs have become an important issue over the past few months. At various times Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique have expressed concern or refused acceptance of GM maize. Most of the concerns revolve around the potential contamination of local agricultural crops; although health risks have also been mooted. Zambia have come out the most strongly in banning the import of GM maize though this may be reviewed following current data collation by Zambian scientists. Malawi has announced that all GM maize, from 1st October, needs to be milled to prevent any potential environmental contamination. The issue of who incurs the additional costs has not been fully addressed.
In response, the UN have put out a combined statement (23 August) that re-iterates that the final decision to accept GMOs rests with national governments but that the risks are considered to be minimal.
Save the Children UK accept the right of governments to question GMOs in principle. However, the mitigating circumstances that this crisis presents will require greater pragmatism. By the end of this year over 14 million people will require food assistance. Sufficient food is not available within the southern Africa region and national governments have been slow to make their position on GM crops known. However, as a potential constraint, the GM issue should have been anticipated earlier by all actors (including the UN and NGOs). The reality is that it may now be too late to look for alternative food stocks, in the volumes required, if we are to meet the immediate needs. National governments have offered limited alternative solutions to the problem posed by them refusing the GM maize. Chiefly, this involves milling the grain but this imposes additional problems (costs for milling and re-bagging, shorter shelf life, inadequate milling capacity in the affected countries).
Save the Children UK believes that if the only options are accepting GM crops or seeing many people starve, then countries in the region should soften their stance and accept GM crops - unmilled or milled - for the period of this emergency.
This situation demonstrates vividly that there is an urgent need to work with SADC agricultural bodies to develop policies to deliver food security, including a coherent policy on GM crops, both at regional and national level.
El Nino
Of major concern is the impact of the current El Nino event. There is now a 90% chance that El Nino conditions will prevail during the remainder of 2002 and into early 2003. Although there is considerable uncertainty in the forecasts about timing and intensity of the peak of this warm episode, there is an increased probability of drier conditions across parts of southern Africa in 2003. All of the forecasts, so far, indicate that it will be much weaker than the 1997/98 El Nino which, despite its intensity, was ameliorated by climate patterns in the Indian Ocean. In view of this, SC UK has, through its regional office, been tracking developments and commissioning short pieces of work to provide an early analysis of potential scenarios.
Emergency preparedness
In responding to the flooding disaster in Mozambique in early 2000, SC UK found its emergency response capacity wanting, partly as a result of a weak programme base in Inhambane Province. As a result of this inadequate response, it was decided that the SC UK regional office in Pretoria would oversee an intensive period of preparedness planning across the region so that the lessons of Mozambique could be effectively learnt. The six countries where SC UK is working in the region had emergency preparedness plans in place by October 2001. These plans have been reviewed and updated regularly in response to a changing external environment.
A regional preparedness plan has also been developed which has emphasised the need for greater investment in staff development, programme development and sectoral competence, particularly within health, nutrition and child protection. This work has had a strong impact in heightening both SC UK and its partners' awareness on the likely threats and hazards which communities and countries face. The preparedness process has begun to make changes in ensuring that SC UK programmes become more relevant to dealing with the main threats to communities and family livelihoods. This work has been strengthened by the excellent data analysis provided by the Household Economy Approach which has been critical in preparing SC UK for its early emergency responses in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Swaziland and Lesotho.
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